The Stag and the Wolf
by m.brown
Summary: Just a bunch of moments between Hayley and Elijah during the series and my take on what they were thinking or what I wished would've happened!
1. 1x06

**Fruit of the Poisoned Tree**

Milk. All she needed was some damn milk. Hayley rummaged through the refrigerator persistently, but to no avail. She sighed and placed a hand on her baby bump. _Sorry baby, not today._

"Good morning."

Hayley peeked her head from behind the fridge door and smiled. Elijah was leaning up against the doorway smiling at her. She felt a slight flutter begin in her stomach but immediately forced herself to kill the feeling. He was an original. She couldn't forget that.

"Hey," she replied. She was glad he hadn't taken last night too hard. Reflecting back on it, slapping him _had_ been a bit much, but hey, she was hormonal. Can't blame a pregnant woman for lashing out from time to time.

Just then, Rebekah opened the back door and dragged a trash can behind her. Hayley turned back to the fridge and frowned.

"Listen, I know I'm the only one in this house that actually drinks milk, but would it kill any of you to make sure it's on the grocery list?" she asked.

"Speaking of, add bleach," Rebekah said with a huff. She stomped through the kitchen into the living room to clean up the blood from the previous night, and weirdly, Hayley didn't find it odd. She had gotten used to it by now.

"You know, I do hope my siblings were hospitable to you, in my absence," Elijah said as he rummaged around in the cupboard. Hayley pulled a tub of ice cream out of the freezer, totally succumbing to her cravings and pondered Elijah's statement.

"In your absence, as you like to call it, which is a way-too-polite way of saying that your brother put a dagger in your heart," she replied sarcastically. Elijah moved to the island counter where she was at and placed a bowl, spoon, and bag of cereal on the granite. He put away the ice cream Hayley had just taken out and she frowned.

"I have been attacked by French Quarter vampires, I've had to live in a house with a secret dungeon full of coffins, and I was nearly murdered by witches who are convinced my baby is Lucifer."

Elijah looked up at her and smiled sympathetically, but reached past her to pull two jugs out of the fridge, one of which was… milk. He poured some milk in the bowl following the cereal.

"Oh...milk." Elijah looked at her once more and grinned.

"They've been fine. Your siblings are weirdly protective, I know I have you to thank for that," Hayley said appreciatively. Elijah nodded and smiled at her.

"I'm just happy to see that you're in one piece. So, back to the murderous witches… I have some concerns," he said seriously. He looked at Hayley straight in the eyes and for the first time she noticed that there was a slight twinkle in his dark brown eyes.

"They're evil. And, my life is still magically linked to Sophie Deveraux, which is not comforting," Hayley said. She had to admit she was scared, not for herself, but for her baby.

"Yes, I think it's time we took care of that little problem," he said to her.

"I am all for it. As soon as they're unlinked, we get to leave this crap town," Rebekah said as she casually dragged a dead body across the kitchen floor. "Who do we have to kill?"

"Probably no one," Elijah responded. Hayley looked at him quizzically and raised an eyebrow. Elijah stared back before sighing and rethinking his response.

"Alright, potentially everyone."

* * *

Hayley felt like she was going to pass out. She had a towel wrapped around her body despite the fact that her skin felt like it was on fire. She swayed back and forth a bit and vaguely felt Rebekah's hand on her forehead, but mainly it was like she was delusional. Everything was too blurry to really focus on and even if her vision allowed it, the massive headache she had didn't make her want to open her eyes. If this was what dying was like, Hayley was ready to get it over with.

"She's burning up! We need to do this now!" she heard Elijah yell.

"Get her in the water!" Sophie responded.

Rebekah began helping Hayley stand as she heard a splash. Elijah was standing in the pool completely dressed. That wasn't right, was it? Why did he have his clothes on? She found herself being shuffled towards Elijah and eventually was pulled into the water with him. The pool helped cool her down a bit, but her headache and vision were getting worse.

"I don't see how a midnight swim is supposed to help," Rebekah said from the side of the pool

"Her temperature is sky-high. The water, with the help of the herbs, should cool us down," Sophie said. She also jumped in the pool and waded over to press a cup into Hayley's hands.

"Drink this!" Hayley drank greedily hoping that the liquid would help her in some way. It tasted like grass and dirt but she didn't care. A sharp pain struck her abdomen and she gasped.

"You're going to have to get her heart rate down."

"How do you suggest I do that?" Elijah asked.

"Hold her. It's a natural human remedy to slow the heart rate and reduce blood pressure," Sophie explained. Hayley looked up at Elijah, but he already had his arms underneath her. Elijah kneeled and held Hayley bridal style in the water. She wrapped her arms around his neck trying to hold on for dear life, but the pain was beginning to worsen.

"This is never gonna work," Rebekah said.

"Davina will break the link, we just need time," Elijah said to no one in particular. Hayley clung tightly to him and let out a groan. It was getting much worse. Suddenly, she felt as though her oxygen supply had been significantly cut off. Her throat contracted and she began to gasp for breath.

"I can't breathe," Hayley rasped. She took it back, if _this_ was dying, then _please_ just happen already.

"Okay, long deep breaths, Hayley! Look at me. Long deep breaths, just focus on the sound of my voice," Elijah said to her. She looked towards him and found his face just inches from her own. Had she not been hyperventilating, it would've made her uncomfortable, but right now, there was nothing and no one she'd rather see more.

"You'll be okay. You'll be okay," he whispered to her. Maybe she would be. Maybe-

Hayley screamed. Everything else just seemed to melt away. The pool, Sophie, Rebekah… Elijah. They were all gone. All she could feel was the intense stabbing pain she felt in her stomach. She knew this was death. She knew she was going to lose this baby and that this would be the end for her. Hayley screamed for her unborn child and for herself as she buckled over.

Sophie said something Hayley couldn't hear. But the pain was beginning to subside. She was able to hear again. The headache and stabbing in her stomach began to fade away slowly, and she felt air fill her lungs once more. Hayley slowly opened her eyes and looked up to find Elijah staring at her intently. What was the expression? Confusion? Relief? Had he been… scared?

Hayley stood up slowly, but still leaned against Elijah in fear of toppling over. He however, wasn't letting go of her. His hand was still pressed firmly to her lower back and he had a hand on her forearm. They both turned towards Sophie who took an earring out of her ear and pierced the palm of her hand.

Elijah looked down at Hayley and grabbed her hand to inspect it for injury, but nothing happened. Hayley felt no pain, but something else instead. She felt that familiar fluttering begin in her stomach and this time, she just couldn't shake it. Elijah looked down at her, but did not release her hand. And she didn't want him to.

"Come on, let's go," Elijah whispered as he began to lead her out of the pool.

Despite the horrible events that had occurred tonight, there was one thing that was for certain. Hayley Marshall definitely had feelings for an original vampire.


	2. 1x09

**Reigning Pain in New Orleans**

Hayley gazed down on Bourbon Street as she drummed her fingers on the metal railing of her balcony. Watching the people down below distracted her from the thoughts of the wolves in the bayou. She was anxious and scared for them. She was also pissed off, which wasn't exactly a good thing for a pregnant werewolf. She was ready to rip Klaus's throat out for call to kill all werewolves. _He_ was part wolf. Didn't that mean anything in his twisted mind?

She watched a couple walk hand-in-hand down the street and smiled. The girl was laughing at something the boy had said and he looked at her like she was the most beautiful thing in the world. It warmed Hayley's heart to see such love and hope in the midst of her complicated and dangerous life. But it also made her sad. She never had time for boyfriends growing up. The boys she was with she wouldn't exactly refer to as "relationships". There were several more Klaus Mikaelsons in her past that she wasn't too proud of.

Truth be told, when she looked at the couple, she thought of Elijah. Ever since she first met him, she knew he was nothing like his brother. He was noble, kind, and gentle. He was probably the most selfless person she had ever met and she adored that about him. She loved his hidden smile he always suppressed, his dry sense of humor, the immaculate way he always dressed and presented himself. He was nothing like any man she had previously found interesting, which was probably why she had such strong feelings for him.

A whoosh of air broke her from her thoughts and she looked up only to see the very man who had just been plaguing her thoughts. Elijah. He stood in front of her with a stern expression and a hand in his left pocket. Hayley's heart began to beat quickly wondering if he came with good or bad news.

"Are they-"

"They're safe," Elijah said. "All of them."

Hayley let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding in and looked down in relief. When she lifted her head and saw those brown eyes gazing at her, she immediately opened her arms and walked to him. She hugged him tightly and leaned her head on his shoulder. Hayley felt his strong hand on the back of her head and instantly felt at home. She clutched the back of his neck and sighed.

"Thank you," she said, before pulling away. "What you did, Elijah, it means a lot."

His eyes studied hers and he opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but he quickly shut it. Elijah looked at her shoulder and reached for her cardigan.

"You should keep this covered up," he said as he pulled her shirt up to cover her crescent moon birthmark.

"I will," Hayley said. She kept her eyes steady on his, but he refused to look up from her shoulder.

"If any of the others saw this..." he muttered.

"I promise," Hayley pleaded. Finally, he turned his eyes towards her and she found herself looking from his eyes to his lips. They were slightly parted and she swore she could almost smell a hint of mint on his breath. The tension between the two was building by the second and she wanted nothing more than to lean in closer to him. So she did. However, as soon as her lips got close to his he turned his head.

"I should go," he whispered.

"Right," Hayley replied. She turned away quickly and sucked in a breath. As she heard his footsteps exit the room, she sighed.

"But I really wish you would stay," she muttered to herself. She felt embarrassed for trying to initiate something that he didn't even want. Hayley looked up at the night sky and blew out a breath. Well, hopefully things around Elijah wouldn't be too awkward tomorrow.

When Hayley turned to go inside, she immediately stopped. Elijah was standing in the doorway to her bedroom with a look in his eyes she had never seen before.

"Elijah…" she breathed, but she didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. In an instant, she was pressed up against the railing with Elijah's mouth connected to hers. Hayley was so taken aback that for a moment she couldn't move. But she came to her senses when he cupped her cheek and she relaxed into the kiss. It was simple and warm, and everything about it seemed so right. He tasted familiar, like something she had lost long ago and finally found. When they finally broke away, he looked deeply into her eyes a tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"You should have said so earlier," Elijah murmured. Hayley's eyebrows pinned together and she felt utterly confused.

"What are you talking about?" Hayley asked. Elijah slowly smiled and made a humming sound of contentment.

"You said you wish I had stayed," he said. When Hayley blushed, he suppressed his growing smile. "Supernatural hearing, remember?"

"Oh," Hayley muttered. She looked at her feet in embarrassment, but he lifted her chin with his finger. Those dark eyes hypnotized her and put her into a trance she was sure she never wanted to be free of. She smiled at him and felt the heat rising in her cheeks once again.

"Well, I'm just glad that you did."

"So am I."


	3. 1x10

**The Casket Girls**

Hayley stood in front of the full-length mirror and looked at herself in the white dress. It was beautiful, that was for sure, but definitely not meant for a pregnant werewolf. White was supposed to be a color of purity right? Hayley snorted at the irony and reached behind herself to try and get the zipper up for what felt like the eightieth time. Frustrated, she just let the back stay open and swayed back and forth.

"Would you like some help?"

Hayley looked to the corner of the mirror to see Elijah standing in the doorway. She was surprised to see him dressed in a t-shirt and jacket, but it was a pleasant sight. It made him seem… normal. Almost. She grinned at him in the mirror as he walked towards her.

"You might need to use all your vampire strength," she teased. He smirked and walked up behind her.

"Allow me."

She felt the zipper of the dress finally go up and tighten around her, but it surprisingly fit. As Elijah finished buttoning the top of the dress, he stepped to the side so she could admire herself. But Hayley glanced over at him and grinned.

"Thanks. Not too many pregnant Casket Girls, I guess," she said with a slight frown. She pressed her hands to her slightly swollen belly and pursed her lips.

"I think you look lovely. Only I would..." he trailed off as he reached to pull the fabric of the dress over her shoulder. She reached back and touched the skin herself.

"I know, keep the freaky werewolf birthmark covered," she said. Elijah strolled around the room, but kept his eyes on her.

"Well, I don't suspect any of the riff-raff here would dare lay a hand on you, knowing you're under the protection of my family. Still, you shouldn't take any chances."

Hayley looked at herself in the mirror and sighed.

"All knocked up and nowhere to go," she pouted. Elijah raised his eyebrows at this statement and cleared his throat.

"You know... if you wanted to attend the festivities tonight, I would be more than willing to take you," he offered. The tone of his voice was hopeful, something that Hayley made a mental note of. She thought about it. She'd be able to be with him all night. They could walk, talk more, maybe dance… it was all very appealing to her, but she was being selfish. As much as she wanted to, that would drive an even bigger wedge between Elijah and Klaus.

"Hmm... you and Klaus are barely on speaking terms. Let's not rock the boat, okay?" she said apologetically. Elijah nodded at this.

"Of course," he said. He looked at her once more before turning to walk out the door.

"Elijah," Hayley called after him. "Do you mind?"

Hayley motioned to the zipper on her back and Elijah nodded. He walked back over to her, but this time when his fingers began to unbutton her dress, they skimmed the skin on her back. Hayley shivered and shut her eyes, completely aware of the effect he had on her.

Likewise, as Elijah unzipped the dress and saw her bare back, he had a hard time controlling himself. In fact, he lingered there for a moment longer than he should have, but he didn't care. She had a control over him that he sometimes could not escape, and this was no exception. However, he forced himself to return to reality and left her to dress herself, leaving him only with his thoughts of the woman that had already taken a hold of his heart. 


	4. 1x11

**Après Moi, Le Déluge**

Hayley walked down the middle of the abandon street and shut her eyes. So much had happened today that had stirred so many emotions. The guilt of reading Elijah's journals gnawed at her, but she was also a little annoyed that he was so upset. I mean, it had been two hundred years, right? Though the consecration of Celeste hadn't actually worked, it led them to using Esther in the end.

What really got to her was Davina. How the hell hadn't it worked? Why did no one come back? If the Harvest had been happening for thousands of years then why had it stopped working now? Something wasn't right at all.

She continued to walk and glanced down an alley to her left. Sure enough, Elijah was making his way towards her probably ready to yell at her some more. She stopped and waited for him to reach her before she started walking again.

"Are you ready to forgive me yet?" she asked as he met her in the middle of the street. The pair began walking briskly down the empty street and Elijah sighed.

"It's not that easy, Hayley," he replied gruffly. Great, he was still pissed.

"Elijah, I was wrong to go through your journals, I was wrong to tell Sophie about Celeste, but after everything that happened today, I don't know why we can't see past this," Hayley countered.

"And you of all people should know why. During my fever in the bayou, you were inside my mind. You know what Celeste means to me." _Means._

"Don't you mean meant to you?" Hayley asked cautiously.

"No," he said bluntly. "Do you have any idea how rare love is? In a thousand years, I have found it but twice, and when I have, I have honored it."

Hayley narrowed her eyes at him and clenched her jaw. For someone who's been around for a thousand years, he sure was acting like a child. She's dead. She's been dead for over two lifetimes.

"I know what a promise means to you, Elijah, but you made it two hundred years ago. I live in the now. If I feel something, I act. If I want something, I take it. I won't choose the dead over the living, so why are you?"

He studied her face and swallowed. She was right. She knew she was right and he had nothing to say back to her. All he could do was stare. Hayley averted her eyes and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Elijah."

Hayley looked at him one last time before beginning to walk past him, but he grabbed her arm and swung her towards him before she even take a third step. She spun around to face him and found herself staring at his mouth that was maybe six inches away from her own. She flicked her eyes up to meet his dark alluring gaze. The two studied each other for a moment before Hayley found her mouth centimeters from his. She felt all of the air in her lungs cease to exist and her heart pounded at a thousand miles an hour. But before they could make contact, he pulled away.

Hayley looked at him, angry, hurt, and confused. Why did he keep doing this to her? She began to back away slowly and eventually turned around. Fine, if he wasn't going to act on anything, then she was done. She couldn't keep getting so close to him only to be pushed away. Hayley walked quickly down the street and didn't stop. Not even when the tears threatened to fall.

Hayley turned the corner at the end of the street and ran smack into a wall- or so she thought. She looked up through her tear-filled eyes and saw Elijah standing inches in front of her with a pained expression of her face.

"Elijah…" Hayley breathed. Instead of answering, he snaked his hand around to the back of her head and kissed her. She was so taken aback that she almost forgot to kiss him back. Almost. She relaxed and leaned into the kiss, earning herself a strong arm around her back. Elijah pulled her close to him and pulled away slowly. He leaned his forehead against hers with eyes shut as they both caught their breath.

"Thank you for reminding me to let go of the past."


	5. 1x15

**Le Grand Guignol**

Elijah walked slowly back to the fallen tree where Hayley was waiting for him. Sabine trailed a few steps behind him, but he didn't care. She was nothing to him now. The weight of the jar in his hand got heavier with each step he took towards her. With each step he took, the image of Hayley walking away from him grew clearer and clearer.

If he gave her the antidote, she would leave him. If he didn't, he would lose her to anger and spite. Either way, he would lose her, and despite himself, despite every rule he lived by for the past thousand years, he wanted to be selfish. He wanted to throw away his conquest for Niklaus's soul and finally be with the woman. But he couldn't. It was too late now.

Elijah walked up to Hayley and she stood to meet him. He noticed that there was only one wolf with her in the distance, but he needn't guess who it was. He already knew. Jackson.

"You came back," she said

"I'll always come back," he replied. "Take it. It will work."

Hayley's infectious smile grew wide on her face as he handed her the jar. She held it close to her chest and shook her head slightly in disbelief.

"Eve and I will round up as many of our people as we can. Come full moon, I can finally free my family," she said. She smiled again, but this time pulled Elijah into a tight hug. He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent, knowing this was goodbye for now. He held on to her tight not wanting the moment to end, but as he felt her begin to pull away, he released her.

Elijah looked at her and brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. Did she even know how beautiful she was? Did she know what she did to him? He let his hand graze her cheek slightly and noticed how her demeanor changed. The smile that was etched on her face slowly ebbed away as she drew closer to him. Oh, how he wanted her. He desperately wanted her, but he couldn't. Not now and certainly not with Sabine and Jackson watching them. So, using all of his strength and self-control, he tilted her head down and kissed her forehead before pulling away from her.

"Hayley… I wonder if they have any idea how lucky they are to have you," he murmured, studying her eyes with his own. Hayley grinned again and squeezed his hand before backing away towards the new man in her life. She walked away happily with the wolf and Elijah let out a shaky breath he didn't know he had been holding in until now.

She was gone and she was happy. And that's all he could ask for. 


	6. 1x17

**Moon Over Bourbon Street**

Hayley stood against the wall and just watched. There were easily over two hundred people packed into the Mikaelson compound which, she had to admit, looked impeccable. Delicate light hung in drooping arches from the ceiling, a live band played a slow, rhythmic song that made her hum along, and large tables adorned with silk tablecloth were piled high with food and infinite amounts of booze. Hayley wondered if there was any virgin punch around, but she wasn't about to try it out.

"Would you care to dance?" a voice asked, breaking her out of her thoughts. Hayley turned to find Elijah standing next to her with his hand outstretched to her. She took a sharp breath upon taking in his immaculate appearance. He donned a pressed black suit worn over his white shirt as always. Tonight, however, he wore a plum colored tie that seemed to bring out a sparkle of his deep brown eyes.

Hayley let a slight smirk fleet across her lips before taking his hand. It was warm and solid in her own, and she didn't ever want to let go. He led her to the middle of the dance floor before placing a hand gently on her waist and allowing himself to start moving rhythmically to the music. Hayley couldn't help but feel nervous with him so close to her and his hands on her body.

Despite herself, she had missed him incredibly. While she was living here, she had always felt safe with Elijah, not that she didn't in the bayou. It was just a different type of safe with him. It was almost like letting out a sigh of relief every time she saw him, and she had missed that feeling. She had missed being so close to him, despite the fact that he had some insane notion that she wasn't able to keep herself safe.

It was annoying really, this idea that she needed his protection all of the time. She was still annoyed with him to say the least, but at the moment, she couldn't be mad at him. Not with him so close to her again. She looked up to find his gaze on her and she blushed.

"You outdid yourself. You even got Klaus to come out and play," Hayley teased. Elijah smirked as he maneuvered them in a slow circle on the floor.

"Yes, it seems that only a sizeable soirée is enough to tear my brother away from his efforts at the easel," Elijah said dryly. Painting? That wasn't what Hayley was hoping to hear.

"That's never a good sign. Klaus once told me that his painting was a metaphor for control, for achieving his vision through sheer force of will," Hayley said slightly worried.

"Well, truthfully, I'd be shocked if he didn't have at least a dozen or so of those visions swarming around in that insidious skull of his."

Elijah paused for a moment and looked at her before she saw a slight curvature of his lips.

"I do hope your daughter inherits her mother's..." Elijah began, but paused. Hayley looked at him incredulously as his eyes flicked up and down her body.

"Well, everything."

Elijah spun her away from him and Hayley thought her heart might burst. Damn that man. He was too good at making her feel like a teenager with a high school crush. She smiled widely as he pulled her back close to his body. She could feel the heat his body was giving off and gripped his hand a little tighter.

"It is weird, being back here," Hayley thought aloud.

"Not unpleasant, I hope?" Elijah asked obviously trying to hide his hopefulness.

"Not entirely," Hayley replied trying to hide the smile that threatened to make an appearance on her face.

"Are you entirely sure you shouldn't be here with us?" Elijah asked carefully. Hayley's smile dropped. Here we go again.

"Why, Elijah? Because you don't think it's safe in big, bad Wolf Country? I'm not gonna sit in a rocking chair and knit booties, or haven't you figured that out yet?" she asked bitterly. They had been over this. She was _fine_ in the bayou. In fact, she was better than fine. She was with family for once in her damn life and she wasn't going to let Elijah or Klaus take that away from her. Just as Elijah was about to speak, Jackson walked up.

"Can I have a minute, Hayley?" he asked.

"You can have it later," Elijah replied bitterly.

"Actually, he can have this dance," Hayley said pointedly to Elijah. She grabbed Jackson's hand and immediately pulled him away from Elijah's presence. How someone was able to be so wonderful one second and turn around to be infuriating the next was beyond her. She watched Elijah walk away from the dance floor before she began to dance with Jackson.

"Everything all right?" she heard Jackson ask her.

"Yeah, fine. We were just discussing the future of the city," she replied, trying to avoid what their conversation had been about. Jackson scoffed at that and she looked up curiously at him.

"How can you be thinking about the city right now? I should have told you how beautiful you look tonight," he said.

As much as she hated to admit it, those words didn't have nearly the effect on her than those of Elijah. Despite his stubbornness, his inability is trust her, and his insufferable need to be in control all the time, she couldn't help but notice that being in the arms of Jackson felt so wrong.

She blushed nonetheless and thanked him, but excused herself from the dance floor when the all-too familiar call of nature washed over her. Damn pregnancy.

Hayley led herself up the stairs to her old room and found the bathroom quickly. When she exited, she stopped to take a look around. The room was the same, but somehow different since her departure. It was too clean for her liking. The bed was made, the pillows were perfectly piled, and the shades were drawn. She walked over and ran a hand along the familiar comforter and sighed. She missed this place, she really did, but she knew she couldn't stay here. Not anymore.

Hayley walked out of her old room and shut the door. As she turned towards the stairs, she found Elijah at the top of the steps. He looked at her quizzically, silently asking why she was up here.

"Bathroom," Hayley said as she gestured to the door. Elijah nodded in approval, but said nothing else. Not wanting to stay for an awkward conversation, Hayley walked by him and began to descend the stairs, but felt a hand tug on her own as she was stepping down.

"Hayley," Elijah said as he turned his head towards her. "Forgive me. I didn't mean to offend you or your wolves earlier. I just…" he trailed off.

"Just what, Elijah?" Hayley asked as she turned on her heel and pulled her hand away from his. "You just couldn't stand not being in control of everything?"

"I just need to know you're safe. You and this child are this family's priority." The baby. Of course it's about the baby.

"Yes, I'm aware of that. You've all made it perfectly clear that my _child_ is the sole reason you need me around. But don't worry, I've got it covered," Hayley said sharply before turning to walk down the stairs. Elijah was in front of her with arms spread and hands gripping both railings before she could even take a step.

" _You_ have been my only priority ever since I met you in the graveyard that night. The child may be inside of you, but _you_ are what I'm afraid of losing."

Elijah looked deeply into her eyes with a wounded expression etched all over his face. Hayley placed a hand on the rail for support as his words hit her, and they both turned to look as her fingers accidentally brushed his. It was electrical; every touch, every look, every spoken word… she could no longer fight what she felt. And how could she turn away from a vulnerable Elijah? She had never seen him show this much emotion towards her and she didn't know how to handle it.

As they looked back at each other, she could see how exposed he was. His dark eyes were wide with concern, maybe even fear, and she could tell his heart was beating faster than usual due to the quick breaths he was taking. However, as she gazed at this man who had just put his feelings on the line, her eyes drifted to the crowd and she saw Jackson staring up at them with a guarded expression on his face.

"Elijah…" Hayley began. He looked up at her hopefully, but as her eyes flickered back to Jackson, she knew what she had to do.

"I have to go. I'm sorry."

Elijah stared at her for a moment before dropping his head and one of the arms blocking her way. Hayley rushed by him, not looking back, fearful of what she might see.

"Hayley?"

She turned once more, but found him with his back to her.

"You really do look beautiful tonight."

And with that, he was gone, taking her heart along with him.


	7. 1x18

**The Big Uneasy**

Hayley watched as a parade of men dressed in all-white walked down the stairs playing the drums. Everyone at the party stopped what they were doing and turned towards the group of men. Elijah appeared to Hayley's left and the two shared a look of confusion before turning their attention back towards the drummers. They finished playing their song and stood silently as the lead drummer stepped forward.

"Happy Fête des Bénédictions!" He bellowed. "We have a message for all of you… from Marcel Gerard."

Hayley and Elijah frowned and the crowd began to murmur. What this was it couldn't be good. At that moment, all of the drummers simultaneously reached into their pockets and pulled out a small blade. No, this definitely wasn't good. Then men all sliced their wrists and let blood pour out of their veins and on to the floor. The vampires in the room immediately began to get restless as their black veins began to pop out of their faces. Fangs were bared and they began to hiss at the smell of blood. Elijah looked around at the crowd and stepped forward before facing all of them.

"Control yourselves. This is a vulgar trick," he said. When nothing changed, he stood firmly. "We do not violate our agreement!"

Then it went black.

Screams filled the air and Elijah smelled the familiar scent of iron and blood in the air. It was too late. But the humans were not his concern at the moment. As he pushed through fighting vampires and human bodies in the darkness, his mind was only on one thing. Her.

"Hayley!" Elijah yelled. _Answer me. Say something back._

His heart was racing as he tried to maneuver his way around, but it was no use. He couldn't see anything and he couldn't move. He didn't know who was who so he didn't possibly want to risk harming anyone he knew. Suddenly, the lights turned on. His eyes scanned the room, but all he saw was blood and bodies littering the ground. _No, no, no…_

"Elijah?" a broken voice said. Elijah immediately whipped his head around to find Hayley slowly pushing herself up from the ground. A line of blood dripped from her hairline down her forehead, but that was all. Elijah breathed a sigh of relief and rushed over to her.

"Hayley. It's okay. It's all right," he said as he helped her up. She grasped his bicep and he held her elbow, simply needing to touch her and know she was alive and safe. They both looked at the wall to the left of the stairs and their hearts immediately dropped. Written in blood were the words, "There will be no peace."

"Come. Let's get out of here," he murmured as he led her to the door. Elijah kept a hand on the small of her back and her elbow in his other hand as they walked out the door. Most everyone had cleared out as they reached the fresh air, so he motioned for her to sit. She did so and looked up at him with wide eyes.

"What happened in there?" she asked. Elijah frowned and shook his head.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," he said. Hayley nodded, but said nothing more. Elijah could tell she was shaken. She kept one hand resting on her stomach and she stared off towards the street. Elijah sighed and sat down beside her. She turned towards him as he did so, but was quiet. Noticing the blood still on her forehead, Elijah took out his handkerchief and tilted her face towards him. He gently wiped off the blood from her forehead and put the cloth back in his pocket.

"Thank you," she said quietly. Elijah nodded and stood.

"I'm going to get to the bottom of this. You should find Jackson and the others. I'm sure they're worried about you," Elijah said stiffly. Hayley nodded and stood up. She looked at him one last time and offered a small smile before turning and walking in the other direction.

* * *

Elijah stood in the coverage of the dark forest as he watched them. Hayley, Jackson, and all of the other Crescents were sitting in a circle around a fire. The sounds of music, chatter, and laughter were apparent from here and he smiled. She looked genuinely happy.

He detected a presence coming from his right, but he knew who it was. She walked up and stood beside him in silence for a few moments. They watched the lively group of people drink and laugh together. They watched the kids chase each other around the fire. They watched a family.

"You don't need to keep coming out. I'd tell you if something was wrong. But she's doing okay. The girl has a natural gift for leading. She surprised everyone," Eve said. Elijah smiled at that statement and shook his head slightly.

"Not everyone."

Hayley laughed loudly at something particularly funny one of the older men had said and retorted causing an even bigger roar of laughter to erupt from the group.

"Do you want to join us?" Eve asked him.

"What I want Is for that girl to be happy. Don't tell her I was here."

Elijah turned and walked away, leaving the woman he loved with the family she deserved to have.

* * *

Hayley caught her breath for a moment and wiped the tears from her eyes. God, she hadn't laughed this hard in ages. It was a nice feeling after the events of the past few days. She needed this. She needed time to relax and finally get to know her family. She looked at all the faces around the fire and smiled. She finally felt home.

The moon and the stars shone bright tonight, and that wasn't something she could see in the city. The bayou certainly had awoken her spiritual side, and she was glad. She was finally starting to embrace what being a wolf was all about. The purity of it all was astounding.

As her gaze drifted from the sky to the tree line, she saw Eve standing in the distance, just watching them. She smiled and excused herself from the group before she walked towards her. Eve offered her a smile as Hayley came up to her, but didn't move from her spot.

"What are you doing up here?" Hayley asked her. Eve just smiled and shrugged.

"Just watching. You look happy down there, you know?" Hayley grinned and wrapped her arms around herself.

"I am happy."

"That's good."

They both gazed down at the group and the fire, simply enjoying the peacefulness of the night. Hayley closed her eyes for a moment and listened to the voices and the laughter down below. It warmed her heart, it really did, but part of her did miss being back with the Mikaelsons. She missed talking to Rebekah. She even missed Klaus's snippy comments. And Elijah… of course she missed him. Hayley sighed and looked down at the ground before turning her attention back to the bonfire.

"He was here, wasn't he?" Hayley asked.

"Of course he was."

Hayley swallowed and closed her eyes. _Of course he was._ She knew it the minute she saw Eve standing up here alone. It wasn't like her to be so far from the group and she was the only one in the pack other than Hayley that had even spoken to Elijah besides Jackson or Oliver who definitely wouldn't have come up.

"I know he's one of the original vampires and his family is seriously screwed up, but…" Eve said, not knowing how to finish her sentence. Hayley took a deep breath and looked up at her new family.

"I know," she said. "I know."


	8. 1x20

**A Closer Walk with Thee**

Hayley gazed down at the streets in awe. So this was New Orleans. Somebody dies and the entire city erupts into a chaotic celebration with booze and sex on every corner. The people down here needed their livers checked desperately.

She wrapped her arms around herself and sighed. The encounter with Mikael earlier was still tormenting her. Was he right? What would happen after she had this baby? What would Klaus do to her? To the both of them? She tried to push the thoughts out of her head and let the ruckus on the street flood into her mind. As noisy as it was, she found the blaring jazz and loud laughter rather soothing. I guess this place really was starting to feel like home.

Hayley heard footsteps coming down the hall and stop in her doorway. The faint odor of a familiar cologne entered the room and it gave her confirmation as to who she thought might be checking up on her. There was no doubt she had probably scared him earlier, and she was a little nervous to see what he had to say. However, he said nothing as he stood silently behind her. Typical.

"If I died and someone threw a party, I would be so pissed," she said looking out into the street. She smiled to herself knowing that was a blatant lie. Hell, she would want the entire state of Louisiana to go all out. She didn't deal with death and grief very well, so she certainly didn't want others crying over her. She sucked in a breath as the footsteps continued and led to the feeling of a presence close behind her.

"You almost did."

Elijah's voice and words sent a shiver down her spine. He was right. She had brushed death yet again today, and she wondered how many more times she was going to have to worry about losing her life- and her baby's. Being in the company of the Mikaelsons- hell, being anywhere near this city was like asking for a death wish. Still… there was a certain comfort knowing that the most powerful vampire family of all time was hell-bent on protecting her.

"In a thousand years, I can't recall a time I felt so...frightened," he said. Hayley's heart hammered in her chest at his revelation. There had been so many… moments between the two of them that she had wondered about. She had worried that perhaps he didn't feel what she felt since he never made a move, but eventually realized it was just his damn noble code he lived by that stopped them from being together. There had been so many close calls, so many times when their faces were mere inches from each other, but it was always him who broke away. And now, he had confessed that he had never been more afraid in his a thousand years of life. Because of her.

But here he was basically declaring what he felt. If neither Celeste nor Katherine could scare him as much as she did, that had to be a sign. She heard Elijah begin to walk away, taking her silence as a sign of rejection, and she whipped around. He faced the door with his head slightly bent, but had not left the room completely.

"Elijah..." she breathed. He turned to Hayley with questioning eyes and waited for her to say something. The deep brown irises stared at her wondering what possibly could be going on in her mind. Truth be told, she didn't know. Her mind felt blank, but her skin was tingling. There was an electric current between the two of them that was stronger than ever. Maybe it was her close call today or maybe it was the fact that he finally admitted his feelings for it. Whatever the reason, it was pulling her to him like a magnet.

She realized she had to finally say something or they would keep doing this annoying dance around each other. This was it. She tried to think of what she could possibly say to him at this exact moment, but words didn't cut it. There was nothing she could say to him that she hadn't said already and to be frank, she didn't want to talk anymore. Who knew if her next brush with death would be her last, so screw it.

Hayley walked towards him and pulled his face to hers. She kissed him hard and felt the weight of the world drop off of her shoulders. Elijah returned the kiss with equal fervor, reassuring her that he had been waiting all too long for this moment as well. Their hands touched each other's faces as they lost themselves in the moment. He tasted like home to her and ignited something deep inside of her that she had never felt before.

There was no doubt that she was sexually attracted to him; she had felt that many times with many guys. Even Klaus. But this… this feeling was something that completed her. Hayley always thought something was missing in her life, but here with Elijah, she found what was missing. It was him.

Elijah broke away slowly and looked into her eyes, silently telling her that he needed to leave. She understood. He had to be the gentleman that he was and leave her before things heated up. There was no way he would do anything to her until she had the baby, and she was okay with that. He searched her eyes for confirmation in his departure, so she nodded.

Elijah grinned in a way that Hayley had never seen before. It wasn't his signature ghost smile or stern expression as usual; it was pure happiness. He kissed Hayley's forehead and squeezed her hand before disappearing, leaving Hayley with the exact same smile on her face that he had.


	9. 1x21

**The Battle of New Orleans**

Hayley finished wrapping the bandage around his arm and smiled.

"There."

"Thank you," Jackson said as he stood and pulled the other sleeve of his shirt on.

"Don't thank me, it was Elijah who vamped your ass to safety," Hayley said pointedly,

"Yeah, well, he really seems to care about you," he said roughly. Hayley blushed and looked away remembering last night's kiss.

"It's...complicated," she said as a small smile crept on to her face.

"I think that's the understatement of the year," he replied. "Look, I gotta go get back to the bayou before the moon rises." He began to walk away, but Hayley turned after him.

"Jackson, this will be the last time. After tonight, you'll never have to turn again. No more pain, no more hiding in the bayou. I promise." He looked at her deeply with his dark eyes and she watched his mouth form into a thin line.

"You know, Klaus isn't doing this out of the kindness of his heart. He's doing it for you, Hayley. You're the one who's going to change everything for us."

Jackson turned once again and began to walk away, only to come face to face with Elijah who just so happened to be entering the room at the same time. Jackson took one look at him and sighed.

"Seems I owe you yet again," he said with a slight tinge of annoyance. Hayley rolled her eyes at his pettiness, but Elijah merely nodded. As Jackson walked away, Elijah caught Hayley's gaze and she fought the smile that wanted to appear on her face.

"I understand he risked his life to save his friend," he said. "He's a good man." Elijah began walking towards her and she realized that if whatever they had going on was to continue, she _had_ to be honest with him. She had to tell him.

"Yes, he is," she said. She turned and walked towards the window, taking a breath. "Elijah...there's something that I need to tell you." He looked at her quizzically and stepped again in her direction.

"My family wanted me..." she began, but sighed in defeat. "I was supposed to be betrothed to Jackson."

Elijah looked like she had just grown a third eye.

"I wanted to tell you sooner, I-I just didn't know how, it's this insane custody—" she began, but Elijah cut her off.

"No, no, you don't have to explain it. I understand the need to make sacrifices for one's family," he said quickly. He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders as he looked into the night sky. Hayley however cocked her head back and narrowed her eyes. He looked back at her and she waited for him to say something more, but he was silent.

"Come on, Elijah. For once in your immortal life, can you just not be so noble?" she said a bit annoyed that he was just giving up on her so easily. Finally, _finally_ they had admitted their feelings for each other and now he was just going to stand on the sidelines?

"What would you have me do?" he countered.

"I just told you that I'm betrothed, according to some backwater arrangement by people that I never knew," she said obviously. He looked away again, so she continued.

"Tell me that you think betrothals are stupid! Tell me that I have a choice—"

She was stopped midsentence by his lips on hers. He held her neck and cupped her cheek as his lips grazed hers. She kissed him back languidly, relishing the feeling of his lips on hers and how close they were to each other. He caught her bottom lip between his own and slowly pulled away. His hand brushed her hair back and she looked up to meet his piercing gaze.

"You will always have a choice," he whispered. Her eyes searched his and found that she had seen that same look on his face many times before this moment. She had seen it when they first met. She had seen it when he held her in the pool. She had seen it when she kissed him last night. His eyes told her what his lips could not, and that was okay because her eyes said the same.

Hayley leaned into him and kissed him again, realizing how much he cared for her. Sure, she had been pissed that he was just going to accept her "betrothal" and step aside, but she overlooked why. He would've done it because he would do anything for her, despite his feelings. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her toes so that their faces were level. He kissed her back passionately and she smiled into the kiss. He broke away and raised an eyebrow at her.

"What are you smiling about?" he asked. Hayley shook her head and bit her lip, suppressing another growing smile.

"Nothing," she said before resuming their former actions.

She smiled firstly because damn, he made her happy. She smiled secondly because she found it extremely amusing that she was currently making out with the noble Elijah Mikaelson. And damn, that made her happy too.


	10. 1x22

**From Cradle to a Grave**

Elijah burst through the doors of the church stumbling, blurry-eyed, and on the verge of exhaustion. The bites on his body certainly were having an effect on him, but he didn't care. He physically felt nothing. All he needed to do was make sure she was okay.

"HAYLEY!" he screamed. His legs brought him to a staggering halt as he tried to focus on the scene in front of him. He gasped for breath as his blurry eyes began to clear, but the scene in front of him made him wish he couldn't see at all.

Klaus was sitting on the steps in front of the sacristy bloody and slumped over from exhaustion. A body laid across the Original hybrid and Elijah thought he was going to be sick. He knew instantly. He was too late. Hayley's head rested on Klaus's lap while the rest of her body was stretched over the same steps. The scent of blood had never disgusted him until today.

"No," he breathed as he began to walk towards them. "No, no, no…"

The closer he got, the more his body couldn't take it. As he reached the two people that he loved the most in this world, he fell to his knees. Blood streaked the corner of Hayley's face, but even in death he could not believe beautiful she still was. Elijah reached out a hand to touch her face and immediately began to tear up. He bent his head, shaking it in disbelief, and let the tears fall from his face freely.

"She's gone," he heard his brother says numbly. He knew the reality of the situation but refused to acknowledge it. She wasn't gone. She couldn't be gone. How could the woman that had been so vibrant and alive just hours earlier be gone? No. It wasn't possible.

Eventually his knees gave out and he fell backwards utterly defeated. Klaus was right. There was nothing he could do. She was gone and once again, he was alone feeling as though someone had ripped the heart out of his own chest.

"You've been bitten. Here," Klaus said as he bit into his wrist. He held it out to Elijah, but all he could do was stare. The light in his life had once again been extinguished and covered with a blanket of darkness.

* * *

Elijah laid her body down on the table at the sacristy and numbly stroked her cheek. He mentally begged her to open those mesmerizing hazel eyes. He urged her to take a breath and let oxygen fill her lungs. He pleaded that she would reach out and hold him once more.

"How?" Elijah croaked. How could the most powerful being on this planet lose the fight to a group of insignificant witches?

"I was bested," Klaus spat. _Bested._

"You were bested… huh," Elijah breathed. He turned away from Hayley's body and walked towards his brother, filled with a rage he hadn't experienced in his entire life. Every cell in his body was set ablaze and Elijah felt the urge to drive a stake right through his brother's heart.

"You were BESTED!?" Elijah screamed. Klaus's eyes widened in shock, but he said nothing. He didn't have anything to say for himself? The great Niklaus Mikaelson, the king of hybrids and ruler of New Orleans, had _nothing_ to say for himself?

"My invincible brother," he whispered in disbelief.

Klaus weakly managed to pull himself up from the stairs and looked at his Elijah fully understanding where his misplaced anger was coming from.

"They took the baby. But, there's still time. We can save her."

And save her they would.

* * *

The two brothers walked through the maze the witches had created, both frustrated and losing precious time. Klaus struck a rock against a tomb creating a third white tally mark noting that they had yet again passed through the same place.

"It's ingenious. I can see them, I can feel them, and yet, they are not real," Klaus sighed. Elijah walked away slowly whilst running his hands through his hair. This wasn't it. He would not give up and let Hayley's death mean nothing. He couldn't.

"There has to be a way. Even if we could just push through – "

" - What we need to do is focus," Klaus responded. Elijah turned quickly and furiously on heel.

"My only focus right now is that child and her safety, do you understand me?" Elijah snapped. "This - all of this - this is the world that you created, Niklaus."

"Brother – "

"All of your scheming, the enemies that you have made every single day of your miserable life - what results did you expect? That your child would be born into a happy life? That the mother would be alive to know her daughter? That we could live and thrive as some - as some sort of family?"

"That was your fantasy, brother, not mine!"

"NO, brother!" Elijah screamed. "This was our hope. This was our family's hope."

Elijah began to try and catch his breath, but the reality of the situation was settling in. He couldn't bear it any longer.

"And now she is gone," he whispered. "Do you understand? I let this person in. I let her in!"

Tears began to form once more and he did his best not to break down, but his voice and expression betrayed him.

"I don't let people in! You knew this. You've taken her from me… I needed her, and you've broken me."

Elijah sat down on the stoop of one of the tombs and put his head in his hands. This woman… he had loved her. And now she was gone. Klaus quietly sat down next to him and gripped his arm in comfort.

"You can tell your niece how much you cared for her mother when we save her."

Elijah looked up at him, chin quivering and eyes watering, but all he saw was the determination in his brother's eyes. They had to save her. They must. Now they were Hayley's last hope in saving her child.

* * *

Klaus and Elijah broke through the wall of yet another tomb gasping for breath. The room was full of lit candles, and for a split second, they thought that maybe they had found the witches. As soon as they saw two white tally marks on the wall though, the realization that they were getting nowhere hit them.

"We've passed through here twice already. We're running out of time!" Elijah said as he punched through a wall in frustration.

"Then we move faster," Klaus grumbled as he added a third tally mark.

"Or smarter."

Elijah froze. The hair on his body stood rigid on end as he turned to see just who had spoken. It was as though he had been hit by a bolt of lightning. Hayley. She was there, a silhouette against the night sky, standing looking confused and tired.

"Hayley."

Elijah rushed over to her to make sure she wasn't a sick illusion that the witches had created to further torture him. When he reached her and let his hand touch the solidness of her cheek, it felt as though the weight of the world had been lifted off of his chest. He eyes flickered to his, and though there was something about them that had changed, it was her. She was alive.

"Hayley… how are you here?" he whispered. Her gaze shifted to the back of the tomb obviously trying to remember what had happened.

"I woke up in the church. I felt this hunger... I knew what I needed," she said numbly. "I can feel her. She's here. I can feel my baby."

"You died with the baby's blood still in your system," Klaus said as the wheels in his head began to turn. He looked at his brother sympathetically and said what Elijah already knew. "She's in transition."

"Which means she has to drink the blood of the child if she is to survive," Elijah said weakly.

"To be reborn a hybrid."

"I don't care about me," Hayley said icily. She turned to look at Klaus and with gritted teeth said, "I'm gonna go find our daughter."

* * *

Hayley and Elijah slowly walked into the Mikaelson compound, both tired and taking in the loss of the baby. Suddenly, Hayley stumbled into Elijah's arms who held her up firmly.

"Hey. Hey! This is the hunger. You must feed," he told her. She looked up at him, tears filling her eyes as she shook her head.

"I woke up this morning a wolf and a mother. Now I don't know what I am," she whispered. The woman in his arms looked utterly lost and exhausted, but Elijah knew sleep wasn't what she needed. He swept a piece of hair from her cheek and stroked her face softly.

"You are both of those things still. And we will explore all that you are and all that you can do. But first, you must feed."

She looked up at him terrified. Partly because she didn't know what the hell tomorrow would bring or the days following, but also because he was right. She craved blood and it disgusted her.

Elijah saw the conflict in her eyes, but knew that if she did not feed soon, she would pass out. He angled his neck towards Hayley and watched as the black veins under her eyes grew visible. With tears streaming down her face, Hayley bit into Elijah's neck and sobbed as she let the weight of everything sink in.


	11. 2x01

**Rebirth**

Hayley ripped the side of the cradle from the base and flung it across the room. It shattered into pieces as the wood made contact with the wall, but she didn't even notice. She didn't care. She swept her arm across the shelf sending various objects onto the floor before she made her way back to the crib. She wanted it completely and utterly destroyed. Hayley tore the foot of the crib away and it collapsed. It was then that Elijah entered the room.

"Hey! Hayley, please!" he yelled as he tried to restrain her arms, but she was having none of that. She backed away from his grip, not wanting to be anywhere near him at the moment. He looked at her with concern and maybe a hint of pity, but all she could see was Francesca.

"I killed her," Hayley stated. She took in a shaky breath and clenched her teeth. "Francesca looked me in the eye and begged me for her life as I tore her apart." Hayley shook her head slightly and felt the lump in her throat begin to get bigger.

"But I don't feel better! I don't feel peace! I don't feel _anything_ ," she yelled while clenching the front of her shirt.

"It's perfectly natural given what you're experiencing-"

"Nothing about what I am, Elijah, is _natural_!"

"As a hybrid, you will begin to experience feelings with a greater intensity. It will take time to master control," Elijah tried to explain, but Hayley wouldn't listen. The tears started to build and all she could do was shake her head at him.

"I don't want to live like this, Elijah. I hate it!" she said. She paused and reflected on her time in the bayou. "When I was living with the Crescents in the bayou, I finally understood the... purity of being a wolf... the nobility." Hayley took another breath and collected herself somewhat.

"I killed eight wolves tonight before I got to Francesca. Eight of my own people. What's noble about that? I acted no better than a..."

"...Than a vampire?" Elijah finished for her, full of sorrow. For a moment, Hayley felt bad for what she had said, but it was the truth. She was a bloodthirsty, vicious beast that would prey on the innocent. She was a hybrid. She was Klaus.

"Everything has changed… and not just for me," she whispered as she stepped towards Elijah. He cocked his head at her wondering what she could possibly mean.

"I saw the way you looked at me before. And, I see the way you look at me now-"

" _Stop_."

Hayley was taken aback by his forcefulness of tone and the way that his demeanor immediately changed. The muscles in his jaw flexed and his eyes burned holes in her own.

"I know you are hurting, Hayley. I know you're confused and angry and upset, but don't you _dare_ for one moment doubt what I feel for you," Elijah said sternly. His words struck a chord with her and her anger subsided, but the pain was still fresh in her heart.

"I'm different now. Everything is different," Hayley whispered. "I used to be a mother and now I'm a monster."

"Then what am I? A saint?" Elijah countered. He took a step towards her and slowly reached a hand out to touch her cheek. Hayley did not move, but flinched slightly as his hand grazed her face.

"Yes, you are different. You are a hybrid now and you have lost part of yourself," Elijah said. A tear fell down her face as he finished his sentence, but he brushed it away with his thumb. "But you are still you. You are still the brave, beautiful, selfless woman that I have grown to care for deeply. And _nothing_ will ever change that."

A silence stood between the two as Hayley let silent tears roll down her cheeks. Damn that man and his impeccable word choice. Soon she found herself with her forehead on his shoulder as he enveloped her in his arms. She clutched onto him for dear life and the sobs began to rack her body, but he stood strong and solid for her. Elijah brushed his hand through her hair and pressed a delicate kiss to her temple.

"I don't know who I am anymore," Hayley whispered into his shoulder. Elijah shushed her and pulled away so he could look at her. He cupped her cheeks in his hands and looked at her with as much love and understanding as he possibly could.

"I do."

With that, he placed a gentle kiss to her forehead and ushered her out of the now destroyed nursery. Hayley turned at the door and took one last look at the damage, but Elijah positioned himself behind her so that her view was now blocked.

"Come. I'll deal with this. Undress and I'll run you a bath."


	12. 2x02

**Alive and Kicking**

Elijah sighed. He gazed at the puddle of blood in the middle of the courtyard and let his eyes follow the trail of bloody paw prints that gradually turned into human footprints. They stopped at the body of a dead woman propped up against the fountain. She had a rather nasty gash in her neck that could have only been created by a wolf. Or in this case, an angry hybrid.

Elijah found more partial footprints as he walked up the stairs and followed them to the entrance of Hayley's bedroom. He paused in the threshold of the room and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. How was he going to deal with this? He had to be stern, but gentle. She was spiraling out of control, but the woman had just lost her child and humanity. He couldn't treat her like he'd treat anyone else in this situation either. He cared too much for her. He sighed once more and continued towards the bathroom where he found Hayley sitting in a bubble bath. Another body was propped up against the tub.

"Come to check up on me?" Hayley said sweetly as she turned towards him. She let a sarcastic smile appear on her face and Elijah inwardly fumed.

"You've had an eventful evening," he replied evenly as he surveyed the bloody mess around him.

"I was having a crappy day, so Klaus took me out to the Cauldron. Wouldn't you know, we ran into some witches," Hayley said nonchalantly.

"So, would you like me to remove your leftovers?" Elijah said sarcastically. Hayley, obviously not appreciating his tone, rolled her eyes and stood up stark naked save for the remaining bubbles on her body, and placed her hands on her hips.

Elijah's expression did not change, but he felt as if he'd been punched in the stomach. He didn't want this to be the first time he saw… well, _her_. But her anger and frustration had taken that moment from them. Still, she was beautiful, and he could not look away. Instead, he clenched his jaw and offered a towel to her. Hayley stepped out of the bath and took it from him before wrapping it around her body.

"Oh, don't judge, Elijah! What I did is no worse than anything Klaus has ever done," Hayley said.

"I would hope that you would hold yourself to a higher standard than Niklaus," Elijah said icily. His brother's name rolled off of his tongue bitterly knowing that this was partially his fault, not that he cared. Elijah pondered paying his brother a rather informative and violent visit later, but decided against it.

"I'm a hybrid now, and I have a werewolf temper to go with my new appetite. And, the witches who tried to kill my baby are worth nothing more than food. Excuse me," Hayley said as she tried to scoot past him, but he grabbed her arm and spun her to face him.

"So now you're going run alongside Niklaus, the man I distinctly remember wanting to execute you as soon as your child was born? Is that who you want to be now?" Elijah challenged her. Hayley's expression turned steely and she ripped Elijah's hand off of her arm.

"At least he's been around, Elijah. Where the hell have you been, huh?" Hayley yelled. Elijah took a sharp breath and pursed his lips.

"I was trying to give you space," he murmured. Hayley rolled her eyes and scoffed at him.

"Right, because that's what you do when someone you care about loses _everything_ ," Hayley said with tears beginning to form in her eyes. Elijah opened his mouth to say something, but could not find the words to respond.

"You were the one person I expected to be there for me, and you weren't, so sorry if I've moved on," Hayley spat at him before turning around and walking into her room to change.

Elijah stood, unable to move as the last six words repeated themselves in his head. Had he really lost her?


	13. 2x04

**Live and Let Die**

"You will. To survive. Now - the head, or the heart?" Hayley heard Elijah say. Hayley held a hand up to Aiden as they walked through the entrance of the loft. Hayley strode into the main room where she heard Elijah speak moments ago only to stop dead in her tracks. Elijah was pushed up against a wall with Gia's hand rammed through his chest.

"Elijah?" Hayley said in a slightly more worried tone than she had meant. Both Gia and Elijah looked up at her surprised. Gia immediately retracted her hand from Elijah and blushed.

Hayley did not like that. She didn't like how close her face had been to Elijah's. She also didn't like Elijah's proud little smirk that had been on his face. Hayley tried not to let her emotions show, but judging from Elijah's expression, she didn't succeed.

"We need to talk," Hayley said icily. From behind her, Aiden appeared. Gia looked as though she was going to lunge for him, but Elijah grabbed her arm to hold her back. She _really_ did not like this bitch.

"We're not here for a fight. Just hear him out," Hayley said.

"Speak. I suggest you be succinct," Elijah said pompously. Hayley's blood was boiling by now and she was ready to rip both of their heads off.

"Please, I need your help," Aiden pleaded. Elijah said nothing for a moment, but nodded. He walked up the stairs towards Hayley with Gia hot on his heels. When Elijah reached her, he stopped and waited for Gia to pass behind him before he looked at Hayley. A small smile played on his lips before he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and leaned towards her.

"Jealousy is not becoming on you, Hayley," he murmured before giving her one last look and striding into the other room.

Oh, he was _dead_.


	14. 2x05

**Red Door**

Elijah felt himself going further and further out of consciousness. Between the visions and dreams and torture in the present world, he didn't know what to believe anymore. He had lost all feeling in his hands and arms at this point as he kneeled at the mercy of his deranged mother. Images of Tatia and Hayley danced through his head, both a blessing and a curse. He longed to see Hayley once more, but not this way. Not running, covered in blood, _terrified_ of him. He couldn't bear it.

"No more," Elijah moaned.

"I'm afraid we've just begun. You will hang here, remembering. Every atrocity you've hid behind that door will emerge to haunt you. And, as you grow weaker, you will be ripped of your strength, your will, your hope. And, as you rot here, alone, you will reconsider my offer. A new life. A way to be freed of your demons. A chance at peace-" Esther said before she was suddenly cut off.

Hayley's brown head of hair covered his view of Esther, but he knew what had happened. She had come to save him. Esther's body fell to the floor as Hayley whipped her head up, mouth still covered in blood. She flipped her hair back and placed a hand on her hip.

"Huh! That's about enough of that, don't you think? I would have ripped her heart out, but she would have just body jumped," Hayley said casually before walking over towards Elijah. He slumped over in relief and let out a small laugh. Hayley tried to rip out the chain holding his right arm up, but her attempts were no use.

"How do I get these off?" Hayley asked.

"The doll, up there. Break it. She's using it to bind me," Elijah managed to say. He looked up weakly as Hayley reached up towards the doll and tore it in half. She then jumped down from the stool and proceeded to rip the chains holding him out of the wall. Elijah collapsed to the floor, barely holding himself up and let out several heavy breaths. He found Hayley kneeling in front of him with worried hazel eyes gazing up at him.

"You need to feed," Hayley said, obviously implying that he should feed on her.

"I can't..." Elijah choked as he turned away from her. He couldn't. She was the one person that could make him lose control, the one person he was afraid of losing the most.

"You're weak," Hayley said as she bit her wrist. She held it up to him and Elijah did his best not to breathe in her intoxicating scent, but failed miserably.

"I can't… I crave you. My hunger… it could overwhelm me," Elijah weakly tried to explain. He looked down once more, remembering all of the images he had seen. _Hayley… covered in blood… screaming…_

Elijah tightly shut his eyes trying with all of his might to propel the images out of his head. A warm, familiar hand found its way to his cheek, and Elijah opened his eyes. Hayley tilted his face up towards hers and he found himself staring into those damn hypnotizing hazel eyes again.

"Look at me. I'm not afraid," Hayley whispered. He tried to believe her, he tried to believe that he wouldn't hurt her, but he couldn't…

Hayley's face inched closer to his, and in that split second, he knew what he craved. He needed _her._ Their lips met with such ferocity that Elijah thought he was going to collapse. Lucky for him, Hayley grasped the back of his head and held him upright against her. He felt such relief after the pain he had just gone through and after the many months they had spent in a Cold War standoff. She kissed him fiercely and he soon felt his hunger kick into overdrive. His fangs brushed Haley's lip, and she pulled away from him.

Elijah looked at her with longing and fear. He wanted her, he _needed_ her, but he was afraid. But Hayley wasn't having any of that. She slowly swept her brown locks away from the right side of her neck and exposed the smooth skin to him. She leaned slightly forward and closed her eyes, waiting for him. Elijah felt his fangs grow longer and simply could not control himself any longer as her carotid artery pulsed in front of him. He lunged at her and let his teeth sink into her neck.

Hayley's blood flowed freely down his throat and he drank greedily. He could hear Hayley softly panting, a sound that did not exactly help him control himself, but after a few moments, he reluctantly pulled away out of fear. Hayley leaned towards him, panting heavily and looked back up at him. Still, he wanted her. He felt the veins beneath his eyes grow dark once again and she nodded at him, urging him to continue. Elijah dove right back towards her neck and held her to him, letting his hunger overwhelm him.

Elijah lost himself in her. Her scent, her taste… everything was like a drug to him. He heard her whisper his name in his ear which only urged him on. The blood was flowing faster now and he drank greedily. He felt himself begin to go to that place… the red door called to him and he was answering. The hunger was overwhelming him and Elijah could not stop.

Soon enough, he felt satisfied enough to break away, but when he did, what he saw broke him. Hayley laid lifeless in front of him, covered in her own blood.

"NO! No, no, no… Hayley…" Elijah whimpered as he fell to the ground beside her cold body. It was happening again. He had seen Hayley dead once, and this time, it was his fault. He gathered her in his arms and willed her back to life with his cries, but she did not move.

Elijah had been broken, and when he awoke in the morning, chained up like an animal again, both he and Esther knew that there was no coming back from the dark hole she had forced his mind into.


	15. 2x09

**The Map of Moments**

His jacket was neatly folded on the head of the chair he was sitting at as he gazed into the fire. She stood at the doorway unsure of how to begin the conversation she knew they needed to have. How would she tell him? How _could_ she? No matter what had been going on with them lately, he was still someone she cared about deeply and there was no way this was going to be easy.

"She's asleep," she said. Elijah's head turned towards her as soon as he heard her voice, but he said nothing.

"It's so quiet, with Klaus and Rebekah gone." Again, nothing. As usual. Hayley took a deep breath and clasped her hands together.

"So, we didn't get to say our wishes. Can I tell you mine?" she asked. Elijah looked at her quizzically, but waited for her to continue. "It's a hope, actually... that you'll understand what I have to tell you."

"And what is it?" he asked, concern and fear flooding his words.

"My wolves. I think I figured out a way to release them from the witches," Hayley said. Elijah stood up abruptly and raised his eyebrows obviously surprised. "They could control their turning without the rings, and bring peace to our home so that Hope could return to us."

She looked into his dark, brown eyes and immediately wish she hadn't. His chest rose and fell at a pace faster than usual and fear was reflected in his eyes. He knew. He knew something wasn't right and it was going to hit him like a freight train when she revealed just what it was.

"But, there's a catch..." God, she didn't want to do this. His eyebrows pinned together and he poked at his cheek with his tongue obviously confused.

"I have to marry Jackson."

Silence filled the room. Elijah was shocked. His eyebrows shot up and his jaw dropped to the floor. She looked at those shocked eyes and wanted to vomit. He looked so hurt and so betrayed, and now he couldn't even look at her. He averted his gaze from her and stared at the ground as she babbled on.

"It's a, um, mystical ceremony, and-and an alpha bonding ritual..." she said stumbling on her words. Elijah dropped the hand pinching the bridge of his nose and turned towards the window. He gripped the head of the chair firmly, trying with all of his might not to snap it in half.

"Elijah... I know that you and I haven't been close recently, but... you have to know that this isn't about him. I don't love Jackson, but... at the same time, I couldn't marry him and still be involved with you."

He said and did nothing but look into the fire with a blocked expression on his face. He looked serious, angry, upset, betrayed, and every feeling in between she could think of. Should she let him be for now and talk about it later? He was so hard sometimes, but she knew this wasn't his fault. If she were in his position she'd probably be trying to kill him by now, but not the noble Elijah. No, he was taking this in his own way. Silently. As usual. Flustered, Hayley turned away.

"I don't know, I should just..."

Before she could even take a step, a hand grasped her arm and spun her around harshly. She was face to face with Elijah, who stared at her intensely before placing his hand on her lower back and pulling her towards him. His lips caught hers and he kissed her hard. Stunned, and feeling almost a little drunk, she barely had time to register what was happening before he pulled away.

"Marry him."

"What?" Hayley whispered. What did he mean? Was he just going to give up and not fight for her? Was she not worth it to him? Before she could decided whether she was crushed or pissed off, he brushed a piece of hair from her face and cupped her cheeks with his hands.

"Listen to me," he said gruffly. He took a breath and continued. "The only way that this city will be safe for Hope's return is if you have unified your people, and I have unified my own. Now, Davina will eventually lead her witches, and whatever that girl may be, she is no enemy to your child. Do what you need to bring your daughter home."

He dropped his hands from her face and let them hang at his sides, defeated and overwhelmed. Elijah stepped away from her slightly, knowing that it would just be easier to distance themselves now. He couldn't bear the thought of her with that other wolf, but it would make things simpler if they just cut ties now.

"This is my wish for you."

Hayley slowly reached up and caressed Elijah's face with her hand. She felt the stubble from his jaw on her hand and cherished the feeling. She looked into his eyes once more and found that they were blazing with fury and defeat, but with something else as well. The same something that she felt radiating throughout her body. This man was going to give up everything for her and Hope's happiness even if it meant it would break him. His eyes flickered down to the floor and back up at her. Fuck it.

She lunged at him as he did the same. Their lips met in passionate fury each trying to take control of the other. Feeling his hands move down her body, she jumped and wrapped her legs around his waist. He moved quickly and pressed her up against the bookcase. His lips left a trail of fire from her lips to her neck as he pressed up against her. Hayley quickly unknotted his tie and ripped open his shirt, exposing his bare chest. She splayed her hands over his pectoral muscles as he pulled off her cardigan and camisole. Their lips met again hungrily and Elijah moved them to the coffee table.

He laid Hayley down and held her head up as she threw it back off the table. He kissed her again and this time, did not break their contact. He kneeled on the ground as his chest and stomach covered hers. She again wrapped her legs around his waist pulling him closer to her. Hayley traced his bottom lip with her tongue granting her immediate access in exploration of his mouth. They kissed fiercely for a long period of time- how long, she couldn't say- before he broke the kiss sharply and moved his lips to her ear.

"No matter whose last name you bear, you are _mine_."


	16. 2x14

**I Love You, Goodbye**

"You look perfect."

The words disrupted the silence like a gun shot, and they hurt just the same. Hayley looked up from where Hope was playing on the ground and stood smoothing out her dress. She turned towards the man who, though always dressed in a professional manner, looked awfully stunning in his black suit. Elijah was leaning on the doorframe like he had become accustomed to and just stared at her with the ghost of a smile on his lips. Hayley could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, but said nothing. Her stomach tingled in anticipation, but for all the wrong reasons it should be. It was her wedding day after all, yet here she stood wishing she could throw herself into the arms of another man.

Elijah looked at her in awe. He could not lie; this was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen in his life, and it hurt like hell. He wished more than anything that he could take her into his arms and whisk her away from this lie of a ceremony, which it was. He knew deep in his heart that she cared for the wolf, Jackson, but they did not and would not ever have the connection that was currently present in the room. It was impossible for anyone to have what they had. He thought about what he was to say to Hayley, this precious creature that he simply did not deserve, but thought it best to just tell her the truth that had been gnawing at him since he first laid eyes on her. Elijah swallowed and walked towards her.

"Hayley, I understand that this arrangement is important to your cause, and I will do nothing to dissuade you from it. I would be remiss if I didn't tell you, at least once..."

"Don't. Don't say it," she said softly. He immediately stopped in his tracks and felt his ability to breathe cease to exist. She cut him off because she could not bear to hear him say the words she had been longing for him to say all this time. She knew if she heard those simple little words, she would leave this house and all her responsibilities behind for this man. Elijah looked at her with raised eyebrows and an open mouth, but said nothing.

"You know, ever since the first day that I met you, I have felt _everything_ for you. And all this time, you were never able to say how you feel about me. And I get it- you can't just be the guy who says how he feels."

Elijah's heart lurched at these words. She had felt _everything_? The words wrapped themselves around his heart and squeezed hard. He too had felt almost every emotion he could ever imagine when it came to Hayley. He wished immensely that he could take back all the time he had spent with her and do it all again. He would've held her sooner. He would've kissed her sooner. He would've made love to her sooner. He sure as hell would've told her how he felt sooner. Despite the fact that he had spent over a thousand years on this earth, he found himself, for the first moment in his long life, wishing for more time.

"But Jackson is. And I think I can be happy with him."

Hayley saw his eyes fill with tears and it ripped her insides apart. It was almost as painful as her transition into a wolf. She felt every bone in her body break at the sight of a tear slipping down his face and could not stand to see how the always steady and emotionally confined Elijah, was falling apart due to the words she wished she didn't have to say.

"And I just want to be happy, Elijah. So, whatever you're going to say to me... please don't say it," she finally said. Hayley felt as though she was going to crumble into a million pieces. Elijah felt just about the same.

"Hayley, I…" Elijah choked out. She bit her lip and shook her head as she felt the tears begin to form. If he said another word she would break down, and she couldn't do that. She had to be strong for her pack and Jack. She had to be strong for Hope. She had to be strong for herself.

"Elijah, please. I can't… I can't hear you say it," she stuttered. Elijah took a step forward and closed the gap between them. His eyes still shone with tears, but there was determination in them. Hayley could feel the growing magnetism between them and it pained her not to give into the pull.

"Why?" he asked. It was unfair of her to deny him of the right to state his feelings, no matter the timing. Though he had to admit that he cursed himself for doing this to her at this moment, he couldn't let her go just yet.

"Because if you say it I won't be able to do this."

The answer made his throat constrict, but he swallowed the lump that had formed and cupped her face gently with his hands. She subconsciously leaned into them and Elijah could feel her warm breath on his palms. He took a deep breath and the words that had been bottled up inside of him for months spilled out.

"Of course you will do this. It is who you are and I will not stop you. I told you once before that you will always have a choice and I respect your decision, though it tears me to pieces. However, I think it is only fair that I get a choice as well. I am not a selfish man, Hayley, but I cannot deny that I wish to be selfish with you and have wanted to be for months now. The simple fact is that I am in love with you and I had to tell you that before I had lost you for good."

Tears streamed down Hayley's face as he spoke and in the back of her mind she thought about how she would need to redo her makeup as soon as the opportunity presented itself. All the things he was saying to her were all the right words she had wanted to hear for so long, but his timing was impeccably wrong. She felt his hands on her cheeks and couldn't help but shiver as his thumbs brushed away any stray tears.

"You will never lose me, Elijah. I couldn't bear life without you," she breathed, "but I have to do this. I have to do this for my pack and Hope. I just… I really need you to understand something, okay?"

Hayley grabbed one of his hands and held it in her own. She laced their fingers together and pulled him closer to her. She placed her other hand on his perfectly sculpted face and stroked her jaw with her thumb. She gazed into his mesmerizingly dark eyes and got lost in them for a moment before she remembered he was waiting for her to speak.

"I care about Jack. He has watched over me and protected me ever since I got here, and I will never be able to repay him for that. He's a great guy and truthfully I think that one day I could even love him. But Elijah… I am in love with you in a way that Jack will never know because _you_ are the only one that holds my heart," Hayley admitted. "And you're the only one that ever will."

A fresh stream of tears ran down her face and Elijah pulled her to him quickly. He held her tightly knowing that he may never get a chance to do so again. He glided his hands over the small of her back, up her spine, and anywhere else he could. He wanted to soak as much of her in as he could.

Hayley clung to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She could feel his breath on her neck and his hands gently memorizing each inch of her. He smelled the way he always did, of pine and a certain dark musk she had no exact name for, but the effect it had on her at the moment made her knees buckle slightly. She ran a few fingers through the hair above the nape of his neck and sighed. There would be none of these moments for a long time.

"I will wait for you," Elijah murmured in her ear. "Whether it be twenty, thirty, forty, a hundred years; when Jackson is old and grey, yet you still shine as beautifully as you do today, I will be there."

Hayley pulled away and looked him in the eyes again. They were swimming with so many different emotions that she didn't know if she could keep the eye contact. So, she released her arms and traced his facial features with her hands. His eyes shut and her thumbs brushed over his temples, fluttered over his eyelids, and traced his nose. She spread her fingers across his cheeks and down to his chin before finally stopping at his mouth. Hayley pressed her own delicate lips to his in a farewell and stepped back knowing that no matter what happened down the road, this man would always be hers and she would be his.

"I love you, Elijah," she whispered. Elijah looked at her briefly before placing a kiss on her forehead.

"And I, you."


	17. 2x22

**Ashes to Ashes**

Elijah waited. He stood in the familiar corner of the Bayou where he had been so many times. He stood outside the cabin he and Hayley shared when Niklaus had bitten him; the place where she cared for him. He gazed out on to the lake at the full moon and sighed. What he would give to keep that perfect circle in the sky all night and day.

He hated his brother. Never in the past thousand years had he hated him. Through the death of Celeste, through his years spent with a dagger lodged in his chest, through every despicable act he had ever committed, Elijah always fought for his redemption. No more. He had finally done the one thing that Elijah could not forgive.

Footsteps to his left caused Elijah's head to swivel. Through the darkness of the forest, a woman approached him in the shadows. Hayley walked slowly towards him, allowing Elijah to drink in the sight of her bare body. She was the most beautiful creature Elijah had ever laid eyes on, and though Elijah knew he no longer had any claim to her, Niklaus had still taken that from him.

As Hayley stepped within a few feet of him, he stepped towards her and wrapped the coat he brought with him around her shoulders. Hayley pulled it around her and leaned into Elijah, allowing his arms to encircle her in a tight embrace. Elijah held her close to him. He leaned his head against hers and inhaled her scent. Though the smell of earth enveloped her, he could still make out her distinct smell. The two pulled slightly away after a moment, but Elijah held on to her arms, not quite ready to lose contact.

"How is she?" Hayley whispered. Her beautiful hazel eyes looked up at him, heartbroken and filled with anger all at once.

"She's safe and well, according to Freya," Elijah said. Hayley bit her lip and nodded, but focused her gaze down at the ground. Elijah caressed her cheek with his hand and sighed. He couldn't help himself. She looked back up at him and he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Hayley, I promise you, by whatever means necessary, I will release you from this," Elijah said softly. Hayley nodded subtly and clenched her jaw.

"I want you to make me another promise, Elijah. I can't let Klaus be the only thing that she knows. I need you to be there for her. Promise me that. She needs you," Hayley pleaded. Elijah nodded as his thumb stroked her cheek bone.

"Of course," he whispered. Hayley's eyes began to fill with tears, but she blinked them away before any could fall.

"I should go," she whispered hoarsely as she turned to go. Elijah gripped her arm softly before she could break away and she looked up at him once more.

"Hayley…" he began. But he could not finish the sentence. There was nothing he could say. His eyes searched hers for a moment more before he pulled her in for a last embrace. The two held each other tightly, not wanting the moment to end though both well aware Jackson was probably not too far away.

"I will not stop searching, Hayley, I promise you," Elijah whispered before placing a kiss on her forehead. Hayley audibly sighed and pulled away teary-eyed again. She gave Elijah a small smile and began to remove his jacket, but he put up a hand.

"Keep it. For next time," Elijah said. Hayley nodded and slowly backed away before turning and heading back into the forest. Elijah stood rooted in the same spot until he was sure he could not see or hear her anymore.


	18. 3x02

**You Hung the Moon**

Hayley hurriedly threw her clothes in her duffel bag. She wanted to get out of the compound as fast as she possibly could. She couldn't even stand to be in the same building as Klaus. She _hated_ him. She hated what he did to her and her family. She hated that he had taken her from Hope. She hated that he had taken her from… well, she didn't want to finish that thought. Instead, she continued throwing clothes into her bag until her hand grabbed the shirt from last night. It was still covered in blood.

Hayley looked up and everything came flooding back. It was a bloodbath. There had been red in her eyes, on her hands, and everywhere she looked. Something had taken over her that instant… something primal. Maybe it was her anger with Klaus or maybe it was something else, but regardless, it scared the hell out of her.

"Are you ok?" a voice said. Hayley snapped out of her trance and turned around to see Elijah standing outside of the door, concern written all over his usually impassive face.

"I'm fine. Come in," she said before turning to pack the last of her things away. "Jackson's gathering the pack to tell them to go back to their families… what's left of them."

She zipped up her bag and turned back towards Elijah. He was holding a single gold key on a keyring.

"You should be quite comfortable," he said in a slightly resigned tone that no one but her could've ever picked up on. It hurt her. It hurt her to see how much he was hurting, and more so because it was because of her. Hayley had accepted the fact that this is what she had to do, and she knew Elijah understood, but it didn't make it any less painful. She took the key and clutched it in her hand.

"Thank you for this," she said. He nodded faintly, but did not leave. She looked at him and sighed.

"You know, there was a moment at the bonfire last year when I thought we would be ok, that Hope could be raised by a real family. For the first time, I was happy," Hayley said. As the word 'bonfire' left her lips, Elijah's jaw clenched. That day meant too much to the both of them. It was the first day Hayley had ever felt complete. In a single day she had gotten her daughter back and finally gotten to be with the man she knew would always have a place in her life and heart. But no longer.

"I hate Klaus for taking that away from me."

Elijah looked at her, but said nothing. His walls were back up and she couldn't read him anymore. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black box before handing it to her.

"These belong to you. I recovered them after you turned," he said before giving her a final nod and walking away. She watched him walk towards the door not bothering to open whatever he had just given her. Before Elijah passed through the threshold though, he put his hand on the frame and abruptly stopped.

"I thought only of you. Every day, I fought for your return, and... searching for a way," Elijah said. Hayley swore that her heart had stopped beating. Hearing this, still, after all she had put him through, tore her insides apart.

"You were not forgotten."

Hayley was left standing alone with a box holding the wedding rings of her and the man she shouldn't be with.


	19. 3x11

**Wild at Heart**

Hayley crouched down and began shoving clothes in the laundry basket. She wanted to get her things and get out of here as quick as possible. She didn't want to deal with all the things screaming her husband's name. She didn't want to see his boots by the door. She didn't even want to see his toothbrush by the sink. She just wanted to get out.

As she finished piling the last pieces of clothing into the basket, she froze. The last piece of clothing on the floor was Jackson's flannel. Hayley picked it up delicately and stood up shakily. She brought the shirt to her nose and inhaled the familiar scent that she had smelled every night before she went to sleep. It was the scent she knew from a mile away. It was a scent she would never smell again.

Tears fell down her cheeks as she retreated backwards to the kitchen. Hayley collapsed against the count and slid down the cabinets until she was sitting on the ground. She cried harder than she had ever cried in her entire life. Sobs racked her body and the flow of tears didn't stop. She didn't want them to. All she wanted to do was sit here and cry until she passed out.

Hayley was heartbroken. How could a man that decent, that kind, that loving get sucked into this mess? How had she let him? Hayley hiccupped as the tears still fell down her cheeks, but finally turned to realize one solemn-looking Elijah Mikaelson was standing at the bottom of the steps leading to the kitchen. Hayley blinked slowly to try and clear her vision, but to no avail.

"I don't know what to say," Elijah said softly.

"Elijah, I've spent the last 24 hours being so angry at Tristan… at your family… at you..." Hayley said slowly. She saw Elijah look down in what she thought might be a mixture of guilt and regret.

"At Jackson, even, for always being so brave. But then I realize that I'm not angry. I'm not mad. I'm just guilty," Hayley finally admitted. She looked back at him before the tears welled up in her eyes again. She buried her head in her hands and let the silent sobs come and overwhelm her. She was vaguely aware of his quiet footsteps coming over to her, but picked her head up when she heard him join her on the floor. Hayley looked up towards the stove trying not to make eye contact with him knowing it would only cause her to cry more.

"I wanted to blame you, blame anyone... but the truth is that my husband died because he loved me... And loving any of us is a death sentence, isn't it?" Hayley said morbidly. Elijah shook his head slightly at this and shut his eyes for a moment. Hayley wiped her puffy eyes on her sleeve and blinked rapidly.

"Hayley… you are not to blame. If anyone is to blame, it's-"

"Don't," Hayley said. "It's not your fault, Elijah. I don't blame you anymore."

The two sat in silence for a while, simply looking at various items around the kitchen and apartment, each of them trying not to make eye contact. Hayley's eye caught the wine cork that she had hung on the handle of the liquor cabinet and managed to smile.

"See that cork hanging up there?" Hayley asked as the pointed to the cabinet. Elijah turned and looked up at it before returning his gaze to her.

"The first night we moved in here, we had a nice dinner planned and Jack had bought a nice bottle of red wine for the occasion. Of course, we ended up not being able to find a wine opener, so he tried to show me some trick about putting the bottle in a shoe and banging it against a wall," Hayley said with a grin. Her eyes found Elijah's and she smiled even wider. "The whole bottle shattered."

Elijah grinned and Hayley found herself laughing at the memory. It was one of those moment with him that didn't revolve around witches or werewolves or vampires or hybrids… it was just normal.

Her laughs gradually stopped and she found herself with tears in her eyes again. Eventually the silent tears turned to crying and the crying turned to uncontrollable sobbing. Hayley wrapped her arms around her knees and gave herself to the sadness that engulfed her. A warm presence appeared immediately at her side and encircled her. She allowed Elijah to hold her like a child, crying on the ground. She cried until her eyes could no longer produce tears and her throat was raw. Even then, she allowed him to hold her and stroke her hair.

She didn't know how long had passed or how long she sat there clinging to Elijah, but soon enough, she peeled herself away from him and leaned her head back against the cabinets.

"Hayley, we should get you back to-"

"He knew I didn't love him like he loved me," Hayley blurted out. She turned to gauge Elijah's reaction and was surprised when his eyes shone with tears.

"He knew and he still… he didn't care. He died for me and now… now I'm alone again."

A tear fell down Hayley's cheek as she closed her eyes once more. She felt a warm hand squeeze hers and she opened her eyes to find Elijah's hand atop her own.

"You will _never_ be alone."


	20. 3x15

**An Old Friend Calls**

She stared into the fire meaninglessly. Nothing seemed to matter at this point. Her acts of revenge didn't do anything but anger her even more, and now that Elijah had found out, she feared her would stop her from doing what she wanted to do. Yet another thing between her and Jack that he was involved in.

Her eyes glazed over as she thought of her husband. She missed him. God, she missed him. The lingering smells of the bayou on his flannels, the unruly long locks of brown hair, the roughness of his voice… it all pained her to think about. Their apartment was so empty that she wanted to burn it down. She couldn't stand to go in there because it just made her _hurt_ all over. She couldn't take it anymore.

She heard footsteps on the floor moving closer to her, but she didn't move. She didn't have to. She knew who it was. But when the footsteps stopped behind her, an arm reached past the left side of her head. A piece of folded paper was held out in front of her face and she turned her head. She took it from his hand and unfolded it only to see it was her original list of people she wanted to kill. All of the names were crossed off.

Why? Why did he have to do this for her? This was _her_ mission and _her_ act of vengeance, not his. She didn't know whether to yell at him or hit him or just… admit to herself the truth. He loved her. She knew it from the first moment they locked eyes. The way he acted around her and spoke to her was in his usual elegant fashion, but there was always something else. She loved him too. She knew it way before their first kiss or the first time they made love. No man had ever made her feel what she felt for him. Jack hadn't even come close. They had a connection that was nothing she had ever felt before, but it wasn't fair. Not right now.

Elijah took a seat beside her on the couch as her eyes skimmed every name. Eventually she crumpled the piece of paper and tossed it in the fire. The pair sat silently and watched the fire burn before she spoke.

"I love you, Elijah. I always have loved you," she admitted. She heard Elijah take a sharp breath and turned to look at him. His eyes stayed locked on the burning ball of paper, but they glistened with tears.

"And Jackson knew that. And he died loving me, despite it." She turned back to face the fire and took in a shaky breath as tears filled her eyes.

"And now every time I look at you, it's like he's right there and I'm... hurting him all over again." Hayley looked down and tried to compose herself as best as she could knowing that this would be the worst part. This would be the worst thing she's ever done to him and to herself.

"He died because of me. So... out of respect for him... I have to let you go."

She stared up at the ceiling and wiped a stray tear from her eye. She didn't look at him because she couldn't. She couldn't see what more pain she was causing him. He had already endured losing her to another man and having her rub it in his face, but still hoping for the day that she would come back to him when Jackson finally died. Now, he was dead, but he had still lost her.

"Well, that seems like the right thing to do," he said gruffly. She watched him stand out of the corner of her eye and button his jacket.

"You know, I tried that myself. Didn't work."

He stood motionless for a moment before he turned and walked out of the room. Hayley didn't even stop the tears from falling this time. She just bent her head and cried over the loss of the two loves of her life.


	21. 3x20

**Where Nothing Stays Buried**

She stood at the doorway watching him for a while. She thought for sure he would sense her presence, but all he could do was stare into the flames of the blazing fire while he nursed a glass of whiskey in his hand. His gaze pierced the fire angrily, guiltily, and sadly. She could only imagine the grief that was tearing at his heart right now. He was never one to make selfish decisions, and she knew that the death of Davina seemed like one to him. But he had a choice to make. Davina or the family. There was no way around it and no time to try to figure out another plan. He acted and there were consequences to deal with. She just hoped he wouldn't try to deal with them alone.

Hayley lightly tapped her knuckles on the doorframe and watched as Elijah slowly turned toward her. She saw no change of expression on his face, but there was that soft increased heartbeat that she could hear coming from his chest. Or maybe it was coming from her. Regardless, she slowly walked towards him and took a seat on the old leather couch without breaking eye contact. Hayley placed her hand on his own and felt the electricity of their touch radiate throughout her body. It had been far too long since she had that jolt of life and she longed to be close to him. She gently peeled the glass from his hand and placed it on the table before returning her fingers to his open palm.

Elijah's dark eyes still bore into her own steadily. She could not read his expression, but the warmth in his eyes gave her hope that she wasn't about to make a complete fool of herself. She was reassured further when he lifted her hand and pressed his lips to it. Hayley felt her skin prickle with delight and she couldn't help but subtly lean toward him. Before she knew it her forehead leaned against his own and her breathing ceased. Elijah did not look at her for a moment, but eventually turned toward her and stared into her eyes. His searched hers for an answer to his unasked question, but Hayley couldn't bring herself to look at him for more than a second.

She was scared. Hell, she was terrified of the way he made her feel. She felt guilty for breaking her promise to herself. She was supposed to let him go. She was supposed to honor Jack. But she remembered that she was being a hypocrite. Hayley had told Elijah that he could not choose the dead over the living, so why should she? Jack wouldn't want her to live a life without love. And she loved Jack, of course she did, but not the same way she loved Elijah. She may have given Jack her hand, but she had given her heart away long ago.

Hayley leaned towards Elijah and sighed when she felt his lips press to her forehead. A significant weight lifted off of her chest and she felt the ability to breathe return to her body. She immediately curled into his side and pressed her face to his shoulder. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her to him. Their free hands intertwined and rested on his lap. A blanket of heat and electricity radiated between the two and pulled them even closer. She felt one with Elijah and couldn't help but nuzzle into him. She heard the beat of his heart pulsing through his chest and she couldn't help but smile at the effect she realized she had on him.

The two sat in silence for a good amount of time. The fire still blazed and the house was quiet with the sorrow of the past two days, but not even the deaths of their two dear friends could penetrate the bubble they were in. Elijah stroked Hayley's hair absentmindedly while she traced small circles on his the top of his hand. She watched the flames reflect off the still auburn liquid at the bottom of Elijah's forgotten glass and shut her eyes.

"I love you," Hayley said with her eyes still shut. Elijah's hand froze and she felt him look down at her, but she didn't open her eyes. "I'm sorry I pushed you away from me."

"I understand why you did," Elijah replied. "It is not easy to let go of guilt, even when we aren't responsible for carrying that burden." Hayley nodded into his shoulder and pressed a kiss to it before wrapping her hand around his bicep. She stroked his arm with her thumb and eventually looked up.

"Elijah, you had to make a choice today. Don't blame yourself for choosing the people you love. Sometimes you can't save everyone," she said. Elijah bowed his head for a moment and looked at his lap before moving his eyes to hers.

"I could have tried harder to find another solution or stalled just a few hours more-"

"Hey, if you had stalled I wouldn't be here right now," Hayley breathed. "Neither would Klaus."

"I just fear we have lost Kol and Marcel forever. That is something I cannot live with," Elijah whispered. He turned to look towards the fire again, but Hayley cupped his cheek and turned him back toward her.

"Then, for once, it's a good thing we're immortal, because forever is a very long time. They'll forgive you, Elijah. They just need time."

Elijah's eyelids shut and he nodded before pressing his forehead to hers. Her thumb stroked his cheek gently and he kissed her palm before pulling Hayley's figure back to his side.

"Thank you."

Hayley nodded into his shoulder and felt his hand find hers again. She felt so complete and happy in this moment, and despite the danger and sadness that surrounded them, she felt safe. There was nothing that could come between the two anymore and she sure as hell wasn't going to let him slip away from her again.

"Hayley?"

"Hmm?" Elijah did not reply for a moment, so Hayley picked her head up and looked at him. What she saw was a pair of deep brown eyes staring lovingly into her own and a slight smirk that she knew all too well.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

A small smile etched itself on Hayley's face and she couldn't help but wrap her arms around his neck and pull herself into his lap. She buried her head into his shoulder and felt his large hand cup her neck and the back of her head. He pressed her close to him and they both relished in the fact that they finally had each other. And nothing was going to get in the way of that.


	22. 3x21

**Give 'Em Hell Kid**

Hayley sat on the edge of her bed and stared at the wall. She thumbed her wedding ring that hung on the chain around her neck nervously. Where was Elijah? She had called him twice and was sure he would've called by now if everything was okay. Ever since their moment last night, he was all she could think about. She had worried for him before, but now that they were… well she didn't know what they were to be honest. Regardless, she ached to see him and ensure he was safe.

Suddenly footsteps approached her from the hall. Hayley looked up to see Elijah walking towards her. Immediately her heart started beating quickly. His walk was staggered and his expression was deeply concerning. The normally calm and collected Elijah Mikaelson was visibly shaken. He approached the table in the middle of the room and steadied himself. What struck Hayley immediately was the blood that covered his right hand.

"Elijah…" Hayley said wearily. She was afraid. No matter what horrible thing had happened, Elijah was always calm. He always held himself together. But not this time. No, this was a version of Elijah she had never seen before. This was a man who was broken.

Elijah's legs began to shake and he fell to his knees. He gasped sharply and his eyes began to water. His chin quivered as he looked rapidly at Hayley's feet. He seemed to be searching for something to say, but he could not find the words. His whole body was now shaking so horribly that he pressed his hands to the floor for support.

"Forgive me," he breathed. His words were muddled with a choke instead of precisely and eloquently spoken as usual. He looked down at the floor and watched his tears hit the floor like tiny rain drops.

"What happened?" Hayley asked. Elijah looked at her, but he bowed his head down to the floor once more. He shook his head in either disbelief or sadness, or possibly both. Hayley gripped the edge of the bed to make sure she too didn't start to shake. She was beyond nervous at the fact that there was something that could make him react in this way. She almost didn't want to know.

"Tell me, please," Hayley managed to say. She was beyond scared of what he was going to say next. She feared the worst. Was it Klaus? Freya? Kol? Even Rebekah? She had just put Hope to sleep, so that worry left her mind. Hayley gripped the sheets of her bed tightly in anticipation.

"It's Marcel."

Marcel? She knew he was upset about Davina, but what did he do? Did he hurt someone? Was _he_ okay?

"I took his life."

No. Hayley's eyes widened in disbelief. Elijah killed Marcel? How… how was that possible? Elijah would never do such a thing, would he? At that confession, Elijah completely broke down. He began to cry as Hayley stood there in shock. There had to be a reason… right? She watched as the man she loved, the solid wall, the noble Elijah crumbled in front of her. Knowing the guilt he must be feeling, Hayley rushed to him. She stood and pulled the kneeling man to her body. He pressed his face to her leg and loosely held her arm as Hayley wrapped her other arm around him.

Hayley looked down the hall to see Klaus's figure disappear quickly to his room. God, he must be devastated. Of all the things Klaus deserved, he did not deserve this. Marcel was basically his son. No one deserved to lose a child. That she knew well enough. Her attention reverted back to Elijah who still clung to her like a child. Hayley eventually kneeled and took him in her arms.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry," Elijah sobbed into her shoulder. Tears pricked at Hayley's eyes hearing Elijah so broken. His crying tugged at her heart, but she knew he needed her to be strong for him right now. Hayley held him tighter and threaded her fingers through his hair. She could feel his chest vibrate with repressed sobs against her, so she kneeled with him saying nothing until he calmed down. Eventually, his breathing steadied and he moved his forehead to her shoulder so he could look down at the floor.

"I had to," he whispered. "It was my only choice."

"You have to tell me what happened," Hayley whispered. Elijah moved his head slowly away from her shoulder as she released her hold around him. His eyes flickered nervously up to hers, but he continued to stare at the ground.

"The prophecy. It was him. He was our undoing. He was going to kill Niklaus, Rebekah, and me. And the blood…" Elijah trailed off. He looked up to Hayley with glassy eyes once more. "There was so much blood on you and on Hope and I couldn't… I had to be sure."

Marcel… he was the friend, foe, and family. Hayley's heart lurched when Elijah said Hope's name, and she could feel the chill run down her spine when Elijah spoke of blood. What did that mean? Were they going to die? Would Hope…?

"How was he going to kill you? The White Oak is gone, Lucien is gone-"

"The serum. Vincent extracted the serum from Aurora's heart and gave it to Marcel. He was going to take it and kill us all. Niklaus… he was trying to reason with him, but he just would not listen…" Elijah said.

Hayley's heart broke for him. He was always tasked with making the most difficult choices to save his family and this one decision had finally broken him. He took all the blame for this outcome and she knew the guilt would eat at him forever. And forever is a very long time.

Hayley pulled Elijah to her again and embraced him. She stroked his hair and whispered words of compassion though she knew they would not help. Elijah said nothing in return, but did not pull away. She would hold him until he no longer needed her to and then… then she was going to see Freya. She needed to know what he saw in that prophecy.

* * *

Elijah's back was turned away from her as she walked in the room. He stared into the raging fireplace and stood rigid. He was a statue dressed in black as the flames danced around the room making him seem more intense than he already was. Hayley took a few steps toward him and sighed.

"It was the only way to be sure, Elijah," she said. Elijah made no movement so she took another step forward.

"And Klaus… I think part of him sees that already," she tried again. Elijah stayed completely still. Hayley was worried he would be like this. He would put up his wall and not let her in. It was true though; Klaus knew Elijah had done the right thing. It was just hard to accept. Just like it was hard to let go of his guilt.

"But more than anything, you have to forgive yourself."

For a moment, he was still, but then he turned around and looked at her. His eyes were empty and his face was full of grief. Elijah's wall had fully and completely reappeared, but as a steely exterior that not even Hayley could break through. He looked at her as though she was nothing important and strode by her without a word. Hayley felt a pit begin to form in her stomach. It physically hurt her to see him this way and to know there was absolutely nothing she could do to help him. She was vaguely aware of his footsteps stopping, but turned towards him.

Elijah grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. Before she could even realize what was happening, Elijah's lips captured hers in a searing kiss. He snaked his hand up her back to her neck and pressed Hayley's lips hard against his. She finally responded and began to kiss him back. Part of her knew he just needed a distraction, but the other part didn't care. Hayley had waited a year to finally be able to be close to him again, and the time and circumstance just didn't seem to matter. She needed him and he needed her. That was all that mattered.

Elijah's lips were hard against hers, but she didn't care. She didn't care that he was dominating the battle between their tongues or that he was being rough or that he was using her to take away his pain. She knew what she meant to him and what he meant to her. Knowing Elijah, he would probably apologize in the next few days if not tomorrow. But at the moment, Hayley was just relishing in the fact that she finally got to be with the man she loved.

Hayley wrapped her arms around Elijah's neck and he maneuvered them to the couch. He sat and allowed Hayley to straddle him as they kissed. She ran her hands through his hair and he pressed his hands to her back, but it wasn't enough for him. Elijah quickly flipped them so that Hayley was lying on her back and he was hovering over her. With one hand he pinned her arms above her and kissed from her mouth along her jawline until he reached her ear.

"I need you," he whispered huskily. Elijah's tone sent shivers up Hayley's spine. The way he said it was almost demanding, and normally that would've pissed her off, but she was surprised at how sexy is sounded coming from him. He pressed another searing kiss to her mouth and she nipped at his bottom lip as he pulled away. His dark eyes bore into hers and the black veins in his eyes became apparent. Hayley freed one arm so she could touch his face and nodded.

"Then have me."


	23. 3x22

**The Bloody Crown**

She was warm. The soft sheets wrapped around her naked body like a cocoon. Heat radiated from the body that lay beside her, and she was vaguely aware of the skin on skin contact from their lower limbs. Hayley was turned away from Elijah, but could feel his intense gaze on her. His fingers played with the hair at the base of her head and skimmed the exposed skin on her back. Her skin rippled with shivers as his fingers grazed over her and she turned towards him. She sighed and propped her head up on her hand.

"Were you watching me sleep?" she asked. His mischievous eyes flickered to hers for a brief moment, but then looked down at his bare chest.

"Hmm... possibly," he murmured. His gaze returned to her and he let his famous ghost of a smile grace his face. "A little."

Elijah reached for her free hand and brought it to his lips before placing it on his own neck. His eyes flickered down to hers lips and followed the path from her neck to chest before finally resting on the sheets. Hayley could tell that, even in the intimate moment they were sharing right now, his mind was on the events of yesterday. No matter what, she could not take away the guilt he felt or at least distract him. She had tried last night and succeeded in lulling him to sleep after spending the night wrapped in each other's arms, but Hayley had awoke in the middle of the night alone in bed.

 _She shivered at the lack of contact with Elijah and turned over to nuzzle into him, but as she reached across the mattress, she felt nothing but empty space. Her eyes cracked open only to see his silhouette against the window. Elijah stood with his bare back to her as he gazed into the night sky. His head bent down as his arms gripped the railing of the balcony fiercely. The metal creaked against his hands, but his grip did not loosen. Quietly, Hayley slipped out of bed and walked to him. His head lifted as she approached, but did not turn. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her cheek against his bare back._

" _Forgive me. I did not mean to wake you," Elijah said. He reached down and touched her hand before threading his fingers through hers. His thumb stroked the top of her hand making Hayley hum in content._

" _It's been a long day, Elijah. Come back to bed," she murmured. Hayley pressed a kiss to his bare shoulder and tightened her grip around him._

" _In a moment," he said. His hand dropped from her and returned to the imprint he left on the railing. Hayley sighed and released her arms from around him. She moved to his side and reached up to take his face in both of her hands. He looked away from her as she tried with all her might to catch his gaze._

" _Look at me," Hayley said. Elijah's eyes flickered to hers, and her heart broke. They were swimming with tears and were dark with a mixture of guilt and regret. Her thumb stroked his cheek and she leaned up to press a kiss to his lips. She opened her eyes and wiped away the tear that had fallen down his cheek. His eyes remained shut, so she pressed her forehead against his._

" _You have to let me in, Elijah. Please don't push me away." Elijah's eyes opened and searched hers, looking for any form of a lie, but found none. All he saw was love and the pain that he was causing the woman he loved. Slowly he shut his eyes again, but kissed her forehead._

" _Okay."_

Now she saw that same look in his eyes that was there last night.

"Despite everything that we've done… all those we've lost… we're still here," Hayley said. She cupped his cheek and let her thumb run back and forth against his cheek as his hand stroked her arm similarly.

"You're not alone."

Hayley leaned down and kissed him. His hand snaked around her neck and pulled her closer, making her sigh in relief that he wasn't going to fight her on this. She pulled away for a brief moment, but saw how fragile his gaze was and kissed him again. She clung to him like he was going to disappear at any moment. His arms wrapped around her in a steely grip though, reassuring her of his presence. He broke away from their kiss and pressed his head against hers. His eyes were closed in deep concentration, but opened and looked at Hayley.

"Thank you."

* * *

Hayley stood at the doorway and silently watched Elijah shudder in pain. He was sweating profusely and could not keep still. The infection on his arm was growing worse by the minute and there was nothing she could do. There wasn't a damn thing to do except wait. Wait to see if Klaus could come back alive and if Rebekah could manage to keep her curse at bay.

Even if Freya's planned worked, she would lose him. She would lose all of them. Elijah, Freya, Kol, Rebekah… Klaus. Their lives would rest in Hayley's hands and though she was ready to take on that task, she was scared as hell. She would be a single mother with no family and no home. Again. However, as frightened as she was, she would go through hell and back to find a way to be with them again.

Hayley shifted her weight to her other foot and Elijah looked up. Seeing her, he began to control his breathing slightly. Her presence had always had a calming effect on him. He dug his fingers into the headboard of the bed to try and relieve some pain, but it didn't do much. Hayley did the same with the door frame. There was nothing that could help either of them, and nothing that was going to make the conversation that they were about to have any easier.

"I saw you," Elijah said. "I had a dream you were… I was holding you."

He shuddered violently and coughed. Hayley's eyes began to water upon seeing him in this way. Elijah was not one to show his emotions, especially if he was in pain. But here, here was the noble stag completely breaking down. His skin was pale, eyes red-rimmed, and the normally slicked-back brown hair was a complete mess.

"You seemed happy."

"It wasn't a dream," Hayley said. She moved from her spot at the door and kneeled next to him on the bed. Her hands covered his clammy ones and she looked deeply into his eyes.

"And I was happy." Elijah let out a raspy breath at her comment, but could not contain his emotions any longer.

"If Niklaus doesn't make it-" he began.

"No-"

"-Listen to me. Now, you have grieved enough. You promise me if not for yourself, then for Hope _you_ ," Elijah said, his voice deep with emotion as he put his hand on her neck, "will get as far away from this place as you can."

Hayley grasped his hand that held her cheek tightly and inwardly broke down. He was giving up. Damn that man and damn how noble he had to be all the time.

"I want you to be happy."

Elijah kissed her cheek before dropping his head to her shoulder and pulling her into his arms. Hayley held him tightly, trying to calm his shivering, and let a tear roll down her face. She couldn't lose him again. She had pushed him away twice before, and as soon as she let herself fall in love, here it was being taken from her.

"I am happy," she whispered, "I'm happy with you. I can't… lose you. Not again." Hayley choked on her last few words and felt Elijah shudder beneath her arms. She couldn't tell if he was crying or in pain or both, but his grip on her tightened regardless. His lips grazed her neck as his fingers shakily brushed over her hair.

"You will never lose me. I will _always_ be with you."

* * *

Hayley sat in front of the casket gazing at the sleeping body of the man she loved. Tears rolled down her cheeks for him, but for the others as well. Her home and her family had been taken away from her in the blink of an eye while an incredibly difficult task rested on her shoulders. Three cures for three problems all while driving around with a truck full of a sleeping ancient family and a baby in the backseat.

She looked at Elijah's face once more and realized that this would be the last time she would see him for- well, she didn't know how long. She already craved his touch. She missed the ridiculously proper way he spoke all the time and his intoxicating scent that was like nothing else. But it drove her even more to get in the truck and get moving.

Another tear fell as she pressed two fingers to her lips and placed them on his. She closed her eyes, saying a mental goodbye, and shut the casket. She hopped down off the back of the truck and pulled down the back door before securely locking it. After securing Hope next to her, Hayley put the keys in the truck and started to drive.


	24. Author's Note

**Just to clarify:**

I realized that those of you who are subscribed probably get notifications and see no new chapters added, and that's partially due to my slight OCD. I upload chapters in random order, but place them in chronological order of episodes. Ex: I just uploaded 2x02, but it's under Ch. 12.

Sorry for the confusion/if that confused you more, but just wanted to clear that up! I have about 12 more chapters I think I'll be uploading in the future, but then this will be on hiatus until Season 4 starts :(

Also, thank you to all who read and review this collection of Haylijah moments! Means a lot!


	25. 4x01

**And… we're back! That reunion was so perfect I wanted to cry, but I still am deeply unsatisfied with how Elijah has never actually said, "I love you," to Hayley. So, here's my spin on their reunion!**

 **Gather Up the Killers**

As Hayley turned back into her human form, she looked at the destruction around her. Twelve bodies. She hadn't killed that many people in the past year alone. It didn't matter though. She would eradicate the Earth in order to ensure the survival of her family. She just hoped that the spell Freya had used worked.

She stood naked in the center of the room looking around for something to cover herself up with when she heard the sound of heavy breathing behind her. One of the men she had tossed into the side of the car was struggling to stand. Another sound made her whip her head around to find another one of the men limping in her direction. Hayley was exhausted from fighting, but they weren't a match for her. She could hear the wheezing sound coming from the man by the car and knew that he had probably punctured his lung. It would be an easy fight nonetheless.

"You want more? Come on!" Hayley yelled in either direction. Her current focus was on the man by the door, but the sound of a body collapsing made her turn. The man by the car was lying motionless on the ground. Less than a second later, she heard the other man collapse. Hayley whipped her head around and instantly felt her adrenaline kick back in. Whoever had killed them could be dangerous and she wasn't going to let her guard down. Her senses picked up someone behind her, and just as she was about to turn, she froze.

His scent is what struck her first. Hayley knew that alluring, woodsy scent from a mile away; she just hadn't had the pleasure of being around it for five years. The sound of slightly unsteady breathing and a rapid heartbeat only confirmed her initial thought. Letting out a small laugh, Hayley shut her eyes and let the weight of the world drop off of her shoulders.

When she felt the fabric of a jacket touch her shoulders, her breath hitched. It took her a moment to collect herself, but when she finally did turn around, every ounce of self-control she may have possessed was lost. Familiar, warm brown eyes captured her gaze immediately and she all but threw herself into Elijah's arms. Hayley pressed her mouth to his greedily not even caring if things would be the same between them. She just needed him. But his response was as eager as she had hoped. He kissed her back passionately and she relished the taste of him. Hayley had never felt so at home before in her entire life.

After a moment, Hayley broke away from his lips and buried her head in his neck finally allowing herself to give into her emotions. Silent tears rolled from her eyes immediately to his jacket as he combed a hand through her hair. He was murmuring something softly to her, but she couldn't hear him. Her mind was too busy comprehending that he was really here in her arms after all these years. Eventually, she looked at him again.

He looked just as she remembered him. Same slicked back hair, same stubble covering his jaw, same brown eyes that could melt her into a puddle. Hell, even after five years in a box his suit still didn't have a single wrinkle on it. She let out a small laugh at that as Elijah raised one of his hands to her face. He gently wiped her tears away before simply cupping her cheek and gently stroking her skin with his thumb.

"Hi," she whispered hoarsely. A grin slowly spread on his face and she couldn't help but mirror his expression. He pulled her to his lips again for a lingering kiss before releasing her. Elijah let his forehead press against hers and let out a shaky breath.

"Hi," he repeated. Their eyes found each other again and for a moment, there were no words. Neither could very well articulate what they were thinking or feeling at the moment, but their presence and physical contact between them was enough for now.

"We should find you something to wear," Elijah murmured after a while. The backs of his fingers softly gliding down her arm made Hayley shiver with delight and she couldn't help but think about how even after being asleep for five years, he was still being so noble and courteous with her.

"Why? Don't like what you see?" Hayley joked. His eyes twinkled at that and he slowly smiled. Hayley saw his eyes slowly take in every inch of her body and she couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Trust me, that's not the case," Elijah almost growled. "However, I do not wish to allow my siblings, or anyone else for that matter, the luxury of the view I have at the moment. Come."

And just like that, Hayley Marshall had fallen in love with Elijah Mikaelson all over again.

* * *

Elijah was watching the burning bodies when Hayley finally exited the building. She had changed and cleaned herself off while he took care of the mess inside and out. Rebekah and Kol had said about ten words to her in thanks and greeting before they set off to feed. Elijah, being the gentleman that he was, decided to deal with the bodies.

"And they say romance is dead," he said as she approached.

"I'll take it," she replied. He smiled as he watched the fire burn and her eyes drifted over him. She found herself looking at the tear in his sleeve and grabbed his hand. She turned his wrist over to look at where Marcel's bite used to be only to find the skin smooth and unmarked. Sighing in relief, she looked up at him.

"Your infection is gone," she breathed. Elijah nodded and looked her intently.

"You saved us. All of us," he said, gratitude evident in his voice. Glancing back to the fire, he grimaced. "I guess Rebekah and Kol couldn't contain their hunger."

Hayley grinned. The sight of Elijah in real life was still baffling to her. It had been five years of torturous dreams and memories of him, and yet, here he was. She remembered the days where she had gone through every horrible thing she had ever said and done to him, thinking about the possibility of never seeing him again. There were days that she had lost hope and wanted to give up, but then there he was in the back of her head urging her to keep going.

And yet, she was scared. What was going to happen now? They had danced around each other for so long before finally giving into their feelings, and just when they did, she had lost him. She knew he cared for her, but had this changed things between them?

"Elijah after all this time, I…" Hayley began, but she couldn't finish that sentence. It was like the words got stuck in her throat. Everything that she wanted to say to him ran through her head like a jumbled mess that she couldn't decipher.

"I love you too," he said. The calmness and sureness of his voice put all of her insecurities at ease and she wanted nothing more than to jump into his arms again. But before she could, Elijah spoke.

"Now please tell me… how is my niece," he asked hesitantly. There was a definite fear in his voice that something had happened to her, but Hayley couldn't keep the smile off of her face.

"She's amazing. She's healthy, happy. She's the perfect little girl," Hayley gushed. His visible tension was vanquished as soon as Hayley spoke, which made her smile even more. "And she made me promise that one day she'd get her family back. All of them."

"Oh, a child after my own heart," he murmured. Hayley saw a flash of pain come across his eyes and she was sure he felt the same pang in her heart that she did. He was thinking about Klaus. Though Hayley was more than ecstatic to have the majority of the Mikaelson family back, there was still a Klaus-sized hole in her heart. She loved him as much as you could love a person like Klaus. He was the father of her child and despite his most sinister and diabolical acts, he was her friend too.

"Then there's just one person left," Hayley said. Elijah looked at her with determination evident in his eyes and nodded.

"Then let's go get him."


	26. 4x03

**Haunter of Ruins**

Elijah was standing looking out over the yard when he felt her presence behind him. A slight breeze brushed across his skin and he inhaled deeply. It smelled of strawberry shampoo and flowers, a scent which brought an immediate smile to his face and stop to his heart. After five years apart, the sweet smell of Hayley Marshall was intoxicating to him. He wished he could bottle it up and keep it forever, but the fact was that he no longer needed to. He finally had her in his life again and there was no way in hell he was ever going to let her go.

The sound of her footsteps on the wooden deck snapped him out of his thoughts and back to reality. She reached the spot beside him and let out a sigh that was inaudible to anyone but him. Supernatural hearing definitely had its perks when it came to the people he loved the most.

"Let me guess. You want the world to disappear," he said.

"Not the whole world," Hayley replied. "You can stay. Hope, too. Klaus can visit on the weekends, I guess."

A small smile flickered across her face at her own joke which in turn made Elijah smile. However, her happiness was as fleeting as her smile. Elijah recognized the turmoil in her eyes and frowned.

"I betrayed a lot of people over the last five years, Elijah. Killed people just to cover my tracks, to keep Hope safe. I was ruthless," she breathed. Now that everything was over, she was feeling guilty. Elijah knew the feeling all too well. The difference was that he had had a thousand years to find ways to cope with that guilt to the point where killing others was just a necessary evil. It was either his family or someone else, and he would not let it be the former.

"You were a Mikaelson. You did what you had to do," Elijah said, trying to reassure her.

"The truth is, I'd do it all again. I told myself a hundred times that it was all for Hope, but maybe I did it for selfish reasons, too," she said, looking into his eyes. It was as if his soul was being captured in her own eyes and truth be told, he allowed it to be.

"When I wasn't with my daughter, all I thought about was you."

Elijah took her hand in his own and gently rubbed the pad of his thumb over her soft, olive skin. He raised the flesh to his lips and kissed it lightly, hoping to reassure her that her feelings weren't selfish nor unreciprocated. As much as Elijah had wished to be reunited with his brother and his niece over those five years, there was only one true reason he wanted to escape that dream world and she was standing right in front of him.

"I should be happy right now, but there's one of my kind in a barn, miserable and scared, and she doesn't deserve to be there," Hayley said. Elijah knew full-well that no matter what her relationship was with him and his family, she would always hold the wolves close to her heart. They were her family before she was turned into a hybrid and despite what use Keelin was to the family, he couldn't live with himself if they kept her against her will.

"Release her," he said simply. Hayley's eyes widened slightly at this and her mouth opened.

"If Marcel finds you-"

"You can't do this forever. Your life is more than the salvation of the Mikaelson family. Now, trust me you'll lose yourself."

Hayley looked up at him momentarily before sliding her arms around his neck and pressing her face into his neck. Elijah ran a hand through her hair and relished the physical contact between them. Here, with Hayley in his arms, was where he always wanted to be.

* * *

Elijah finished lighting the candles on the small glass table and removed his jacket before throwing it on the couch across from him. It was an unusually warm night tonight which happened to be a blessing for his plans. He was going to treat Hayley to a proper date. Between the three years they spent dancing around each other and the five they spent apart, the pair had never had a true first date, which was something that Elijah deemed unacceptable.

Soft footsteps in the grass alerted Elijah of Hayley's presence and he pulled the bottle of champagne out of the ice bucket before he poured the rose-gold liquid into two crystal flutes.

"Was she asleep?" he asked without looking up.

"With her muddy shoes on," Hayley replied. Elijah suppressed a smile and looked up. Hayley was leaning against a pole that supported the light-covered gazebo above them. She had changed into an olive-green dress that brought out the flecks of green in her hazel eyes. It was simple, but suited her perfectly. He grinned at her and rose an eyebrow.

"Who else do I know that does that?" he asked sarcastically. Hayley rolled her eyes at him and he watched as her gaze lingered on the table.

"Expecting company?" she asked. Elijah put the bottle back into the ice bucket and strode towards her.

"Yeah. She should be here any second. I really think you're gonna like her," he said before kissing her soundly on the lips. The happiness he felt from having the freedom to kiss her with absolutely no reservations was unparalleled to anything besides maybe the love he felt for her. It made him think about what Rebekah had asked him earlier today. This. This was his answer. What he wanted more than anything else was to live out the rest of eternity with the woman he loved, watch his niece grow up, and be surrounded by his family, forever and always.

"You okay?" Hayley asked when they broke apart. Elijah furrowed his brow and looked up at the little white house they were currently inhabiting. An image of Hayley and himself sitting on the patio while Hope ran through the yard floated through his head. Yes, this would've been a perfect home for them if it had only been farther away from New Orleans.

"Rebekah asked me something, who I might be if Niklaus no longer needed me," Elijah said. "Did I have any desires of my own? And I thought about it. There was a time long ago, I do recall, I wanted more."

He was so much like Rebekah in his younger years. He searched and fought for love for years and years until he found it to be a futile wish. Niklaus was incapable of letting him be happy at that time and eventually, Elijah found himself running from the prospect of love.

"Somehow I have… I have I lost the feelings beneath blood and chaos," Elijah muttered. There once was a young man who dreamed of traveling the world, uncovering the secrets of life, and immersing himself in the love of another. However, that young man was long gone and replaced by a monster.

"Hey," Hayley interjected. "You can't let the bad things that you did in your past define you."

Elijah turned away from her piercing stare, but her hand on his cheek beckoned him to look at her again. He saw in her eyes that she truly believed this. She believed that everyone was capable of change, that being quite evident when it came to his brother. The problem was that although Elijah had believed in the salvation of his brother, he didn't quite believe it was possible for himself.

"I know you. You are good," Hayley said. Elijah shook his head slightly and an involuntary smile made his lips twitch.

"No, you are good," he replied. "I was wrong when I said that you were a Mikaelson. You're not a Mikaelson. You don't have a Mikaelson heart."

Her heartbeat was so strong and steady that Elijah placed his hand over it. It was as though he could feel the goodness in her heart. Her warm skin sent tingles through his hand as he slid it up to her face. An auburn lock of hair fell across her cheek and he tucked it behind her ear.

"There's just too much good in you," he said whilst tracing her bottom lip with his thumb. He felt her warm breath across the pad of his thumb and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in.

"It's why I love you," he finally said. It was the first time he had said it. He knew that she knew he loved her, but for him to finally be able to say it aloud was an incredible feat. In his entire existence, he had killed both women he had ever loved. First, there was Tatia, killed in an uncontrollable rage of new vampire abilities and cravings. Second, there was Celeste, killed first by his brother and then finally by him. However, Hayley was different. He could not deny that he had loved the other two women deeply, but never in his life had he ever felt truly complete until he saw Hayley in that graveyard so many years ago.

"I love you, too."

Hayley pulled him toward her and captured his lips with her own. He melted into her, trying to put every ounce of love he had for her into the kiss. When she wrapped her arms around his neck, he pulled her hips towards his own. Elijah Mikaelson was so completely and utterly lost in this woman that the surrounding world no longer mattered. Right now, this moment, was all he could concentrate on. Her soft lips on his own, the taste of red wine on her tongue, her delicate fingers running through his hair… it was absolute perfection.

Elijah found them soon swaying slowly, no longer kissing, but simply holding each other. After all this time, they needed a moment like this. Hope was asleep, Rebekah and Kol were gone, Freya was probably off sulking somewhere, and Klaus was content with looking through Hope's artwork. There was no one after them and for once, they had a moment of peace. This was what Elijah had hoped to have so many centuries ago.

"I think the champagne is going flat," Hayley whispered. Elijah chuckled and leaned back so he could look at her. Her lips were swollen, her cheeks were flushed, and it was the best damn thing he had ever seen.

"Perhaps we should have some," he replied. "While we're waiting for my date to get here, of course."

Hayley rolled her eyes at him and tugged on his hand to lead him to the table he had set up. She picked up the two champagne flutes and handed one to him before gently clinking her glass with his and taking a sip. Of course, that sip led to a glass, a glass to another, and when they had finished the entire bottle, there was a fire in her eyes that Elijah recognized all too well.

"Why don't you go inside while I clean up?" Elijah suggested as he began to stand. A hand on his wrist, however, caused him to reconsider his actions.

"Why don't you leave this for later and come with me?" she said huskily. The tone of her voice and the look in her eyes caused Elijah to all but crumple in front of her. There was no way he could deny her request nor did he want to. So, he pulled her up into his arms and kissed her hard before vamping them to the front door. Hayley clasped his hand in hers and quietly entered the house. All was silent except for the crackling fire and the turning of pages they could hear from the other room where Klaus sat.

She led him quietly down the hallway, stepping over a few strewn stuffed animals in the process before reaching her bedroom. Feeling all personal restraints break away, Elijah pinned her up against the door and covered her mouth with his own. Hayley's hands threaded themselves through his hair and her tongue traced his bottom lip, begging for an entrance which he quickly obliged. Realizing they were still in the hall, Elijah fumbled blindly for the handle to the door and opened it, causing both of them to clumsily stumble inside.

As soon as the door was closed, Elijah pushed Hayley up against the door once more. He kissed her greedily and she reciprocated while her hands worked on the buttons of his vest. He really did have to rethink his clothing choices sometime. When he felt the fabric fall to the floor, he vamped them over to a desk where he pulled down the top of her dress. She was wearing the lacy black bra that she knew he adored and he grinned. Her lips were back on his in an instant though, and he soon heard the noise of buttons falling to the floor followed by the feeling of her hands on his bare chest.

Hayley vamped them over to the bed and pushed Elijah on to the mattress, allowing him to get a full view of her standing in matching black underwear. A low growl escaped from his lips and an instant later, Hayley was back on top of him. He gripped her thighs and pulled her down so that she was sitting completely on top of him before he flipped them over. Kneeling, he discarded his now button-less dress shirt to some corner of the room. Hayley met him in the middle of the bed and pulled his lips back to her. Her hands made quick work of his belt and Elijah awkwardly kicked off his shoes, having to pull away from her and bring his legs out from under him.

"You're moving a little slow, old man," Hayley teased. He narrowed his eyes at her before quickly pinning her to the bed and bringing them nose to nose. He let his hand travel down between her legs which elicited a sharp gasp from her. Knowing how badly she wanted him, Elijah kissed her gently and trailed his lips down her neck towards her ear.

"If you aren't careful, I promise, I _will_ move slow," he whispered. Before he knew it, he was on his back again. Hayley kneeled between him and shimmied him out of both his pants and underwear in one swift move. With an evil glint in her eye, she straddled him once more, purposefully grinding her hips into his own. She unclasped her bra and threw it off to the side, leaving only a thin layer of fabric between them. Elijah made a move to grab her hips, but Hayley caught his arms and pinned them to the bed. Coming chest to chest with him, Hayley kissed him lightly before gently nipping at his bottom lip with her blunt teeth.

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

And so, Hayley Marshall made a liar out of Elijah Mikaelson for the next few hours.


End file.
